In a recent development, the Brazilian Football Federation has revealed that Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid’s highly accomplished Italian coach, will be taking the helm as the head coach for the Brazilian national team. The appointment is scheduled to take effect in time for the 2024 Copa America tournament, according to an inside source from the federation who relayed the information to AFP on Tuesday.
The Federation had previously stated that Fluminense’s Fernando Diniz would assume interim control of the national squad. This move was seen as a stop-gap arrangement until the appointment of a full-time coach was finalized.
Carlo Ancelotti is no stranger to success on the football pitch. The seasoned coach, who still has one more season remaining on his Real Madrid contract, will transition to the Brazilian team just in time for the 2024 Copa America tournament. The tournament, which promises to be an exciting spectacle of football prowess, is slated to take place in the United States starting in June 2024.
The 64-year-old Ancelotti, having previously led powerhouses such as AC Milan and Chelsea, will make history as the first foreigner to coach the Brazilian team in nearly six decades. The last time the Brazilian team was coached by a foreigner was in 1965 when Argentine Filpo Nunez was at the helm for a single game.
With a rich trophy-laden career, Ancelotti has under his belt numerous notable achievements. His successes include winning the Champions League twice with AC Milan and Real Madrid. On top of this, his teams have emerged victorious in domestic league titles in multiple countries – he’s won in England with Chelsea, Germany with Bayern Munich, France with Paris Saint-Germain, and also clinched victories with Real Madrid and Milan in Spain and Italy respectively.
Previously, Brazil’s national squad was managed by Tite during the previous year’s World Cup. However, following Brazil’s quarterfinal exit at the hands of Croatia, Tite stepped down, prompting a search for a new coach. Since Tite’s departure, Ramon Menezes has been acting as the team’s caretaker coach.
Before this revelation, the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) had made a formal announcement stating that Fernando Diniz would lead the squad for the coming year. CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues expressed confidence in Diniz in a video statement, stating, “Fernando Diniz will lead the Brazilian team for a year, and I’m sure he will do it with great competence, as always during his professional career.”
For Diniz, this appointment represents a dream come true. “It is a dream, an honour and a huge pride to serve the national team,” he said.
The 49-year-old will now focus his attention on the six South American qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup scheduled to take place this year. High-stakes clashes against rivals Argentina and Uruguay are included in the fixture. The Brazilian team is expected to kick-start its World Cup qualifying campaign in September, hosting Bolivia at home and then traveling to face Peru away.
