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Brazil announces Carlo Ancelotti as new coach

Carlo Ancelotti will become the coach of Brazil next summer when his current contract with Real Madrid expires.

Carlo Ancelotti has been strongly linked with the Brazil job and Brazilian Football Confederation president Ednaldo Rodrigues has now announced the plan. In an intriguing move, Fluminense boss Fernando Diniz has been appointed on a 12-month contract and will then make way for Ancelotti in June 2024.

Brazil announces Carlo Ancelotti as new coach
Carlo Ancelotti celebrating a Champions League win. Source: Getty

Brazilian Football Confederation president Ednaldo Rodrigues announced the plan. Rodrigues said;

“His (Diniz) game plan is almost similar to that of the coach that will take over at Copa America, Ancelotti.

“We don’t call him an interim coach of the national team. He will come and make the transition in Brazil for Ancelotti.”

Real Madrid have not commented on Ancelotti’s link-up with Brazil. And no details regarding his contract with the South Americans have been shared.

Ancelotti would be the first non-Brazilian manager to take over the team since a brief stint by Argentinian Filpo Nunez in 1965. While three non-Brazilians have previously managed the team, none have ever guided the country to the World Cup, making Ancelotti’s potential achievement historic.

Brazil announces Carlo Ancelotti as new coach
Brazil’s national team players. Source: AFP

The Brazil role has been vacant since the resignation of Tite following the team’s quarter-final exit to Croatia at the 2022 World Cup.

The five-time world champions have been coached by Under-20 manager Ramon Menezes in recent friendlies against African teams where they last lost to Senegal 4-2.

64-year-old Ancelotti began his second spell at the Bernabeu in 2021, after leaving Everton, and has won the Champions League, La Liga, a Copa del Rey, and the Club World Cup among a string of successes since his return.

The Champions League final win against Liverpool in 2022 was Ancelotti’s fourth European triumph as a manager, and second with Real Madrid, after also winning the competition twice with AC Milan.