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Carlo Ancelotti's Move to Brazil Hangs in the Balance

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Crispin Leyser | Last updated Apr 29, 2025 9:00 PM ET

It’s all gone wrong (part one) for Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid. One of the most successful managers in the world has seen Real Madrid stumble badly this season. Second in La Liga; dumped out of the Champions League in the quarter finals; and losers in the Copa Del Rey on Sunday. Furthermore the club has shown a shocking lack of discipline of late.

Meanwhile it’s all going wrong (part two) for Brazil. Brazil's football confederation recently sacked head coach Dorival Júnior following a 4-1 defeat to Argentina – their worst ever result in a World Cup qualifier. Dorival was in charge for just 14 months during which results and performances were poor.

You know what they say, two wrongs make a right. It’s reported that Ancelotti will leave Real Madrid and take the reins at Brazil on a one-year deal that will take him to the end of the 2026 World Cup. The sticking point is another FIFA Tournament – the Club World Cup – that Madrid are said to want Ancelotti to stay and oversee, potentially scuppering the move to Brazil. Furthermore Real Madrid do not want to pay any exit fee for Ancelotti's salary - according to Fabrizio Romano, the reliably informed Italian Sports journalist.

The Brazilian Federation has NO plans to wait long for Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti to clarify exit process.

Real Madrid will NOT pay any exit fee and Brazil will NOT wait, as deal can now collapse as @Relevo reported.

Jorge Jesus remains an option on CBF list. pic.twitter.com/HX7ym00CdK
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 29, 2025

The story is changing by the hour, with others reporting that Real will appoint their Director of Football, Santiago Solari, on an interim basis for the CWC before making a long term appointment.

There seems little doubt that Ancelotti is on his way out the door one way or another. Not least because there's an A-List potential replacement waiting in the wings, as Athlon Sports reported a few days ago. Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso has a clause that allows him to leave Leverkusen should any of his former clubs come knocking.

While Brazil sit in a disappointing 4^th place in the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers Table, their qualification is assured. But the five-times World Cup winners have been underperforming for a long time and haven’t won the tournament since 2002. You can certainly see the appeal of Ancelotti, even at the ripe old age of 65. His international bonafides are indisputable having won championships for clubs in five different countries – Italy, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Still, this is a fast-moving story so watch this space for further updates.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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