Ancelotti is coach that does not need too much appreciation as his work and achievements over the years that made is rich career will speak for him in the best way. The Brazilian Football Federation's (CBF) ambitions to sign Carlo Ancelotti as coach are a reality, according to the words of its president, Ednaldo Rodrigues. Given his excellent work with Real Madrid, and how he has gotten the best out of Vinicius Jr, the Italian coach has surged up the CBF's shortlist of coaches to lead the Selecao into the 2026 World Cup.
Brazil's national team has endured a World Cup drought since 2002, and with the game changing in a way which benefits the approach of European teams, there is a clamor for better tactical organization in a coach. Brazil has not gone past quarter finals in a World Cup since then and the only time they did so, was in 2014 when the disastrous semifinal result vs Germany despaired the whole country. As such, even Brazilian fans are even asking the CBF president to hire Ancelotti whenever they see him on the street.
Rodrigues spoke for Reuters in an exclusive interview: "Let's have faith in God, let's wait for the right moment and see if we can make it happen while we look for the new coach of the Brazilian national team. Ancelotti is unanimously respected among the players. Not just Ronaldo Nazario or Vinicius Jr, but everyone who has played for him. I really admire him for his honesty in the way he works and how consistent his work is. He needs no introduction. He really is a top coach who has several achievements and hopefully he can have even more”.
He confirmed Brazilian Fans’ affection towards the Italian: "Ancelotti is not only the players' favorite, but also seems to be the fans' favorite. Everywhere I go in Brazil, in every stadium, he is the first name the fans ask me about. They speak of him in a very affectionate way, in recognition of the exemplary job he has done in his career”.
Despite speaking highly of the Italian, Rodrigues said Brazil must be careful to respect due process as Ancelotti is under contract with Real Madrid until 2024. He said that so far, no formal contact or approach has been made by the Brazilian Federation towards Ancelotti or any other coach and that they will start talking to candidates in mid-April with the aim of announcing their new coach by the end of May. Rodrigues' idea is to have the new technical staff in place before the next international break in June so that the coach can select the players he uses.
"We will be very ethical in our approach and respect the contracts that are in place. We also respect the work that any coach and his club does, to push in and make any kind of approach, it would be disrespectful. So, we have the patience to wait for the right time to be able to hold these conversations. Nothing is really defined yet to say a name for sure, but it is within this line, you understand? We need a coach who has the respect and admiration of the players”, he continued.
In the meantime, Brazil is being coached by the caretaker Ramon Menezes, a former Brazilian player who amassed more than 350 matches and scored about 100 goals spending most of his career in Serie A clubs. While Ancelotti is the primary target with Manchester City's Pep Guardiola considered unattainable, other coaches such as Roma's Jose Mourinho and Fenerbahce's Jorge Jesus are also seen as possible alternatives by the CBF. Among the possible Brazilian candidates, Fluminense's Fernando Diniz is the frontrunner.
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