Ancelotti on Brazil job and Real Madrid exit: ‘If you told me I’d win 11 titles in four years’

Originally posted on Football Italia | By Peter Young | Last updated May 13, 2025 9:05 AM ET

Carlo Ancelotti says that ‘all things must come to an end’ as he bids farewell to Real Madrid and prepares to start life as the new head coach of the Brazil national team at the end of the 2024-25 season.

Ancelotti was officially announced as the new head coach of Brazil in a statement from the CBF on Monday. He will take charge of qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay on June 6 and June 11, will give his first squad announcement by the end of May and will lead the team into the 2026 World Cup.

This will be the first time that Ancelotti has managed at international level after a practically non-stop career at club level that has lasted 30 years and has taken him through Reggiana, Parma, Juventus, Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton and Real Madrid.

Here is everything the Italian tactician had to say about his step away from coaching at club level.

Everything Ancelotti said about Real Madrid exit and Brazil announcement

“As of the 26th, I’ll be coaching Brazil. It’s official. Brazil released a statement yesterday. Real Madrid will release a statement when they want to. There are no problems whatsoever. They’ll do it at the right time for Real Madrid, and there’s nothing more to add, just like the CBF released a statement yesterday. What I discuss with the club is strictly personal,” Ancelotti said during his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

“I’m the Real Madrid coach until the 25th, and yesterday I realised that I would no longer be the coach of this team.”

He continued: “Football, like life, is an adventure that begins and ends. When I arrived, I always knew that one day it would end. That day will be the 25th. It’s been a wonderful period in which we’ve all had a great time, but everything in life comes to an end. Life ends, as does a period at a football club. I’ve enjoyed myself, and my seriousness and professionalism demand that I finish well.

“It’s been an important period. I’ve never had a problem with the club, and I never will. It’s a club that will always be in my heart. This adventure had to end someday. We’ve had a great time and won many titles. Fantastic memories that will last a lifetime.

“I’m not leaving frustrated because if you told me on the day I arrived that I was going to win 11 titles in four years, I would have signed it in blood.

“The overall assessment of this period is unforgettable, despite the last year. I’m very happy, although today would be a fantastic day if there wasn’t a press conference and I didn’t have to explain things I don’t want to.

“I wear the Real Madrid shirt, I respect it a lot, and I want to respect it until the last day, so I don’t want to be asked about anything else. I wanted to win LaLiga and the Champions League, but I’m happy with what’s happening around me.”

This article first appeared on Football Italia and was syndicated with permission.

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