Carlo Ancelotti has once again turned his back on Brazil. While the negotiations were well advanced, Florentino Pérez made a major promise to the Italian coach, leading to this dramatic turnaround.
Highly appreciated by the Brazilian officials, Carlo Ancelotti once again had the opportunity to become the coach of the Seleção. With his back against the wall at Real Madrid, where he’s had a very difficult season with several disappointments along the way, the Italian coach is set to be replaced by Xabi Alonso unless there’s a major change in the coming weeks. After the 3-2 defeat against Barça in the Copa del Rey final, the 65-year-old coach agreed to sign with Brazil. For the Federation, it was now or never. On Tuesday evening, both parties met with Florentino Pérez to finalise the deal.
The promise from the Madrid president that changed everything
Arriving at Real Madrid with an envoy from the Brazilian Football Federation, Carlo Ancelotti wanted to confirm his intention to leave by May 25th. According to information from Relevo, Florentino Pérez didn’t reject this option, but simply set a condition. In fact, the Madrid president, who wants to keep Ancelotti until the Club World Cup, said that in the event of a departure in June, the Italian coach would not receive his remaining year’s salary.
Having been informed of this, the 65-year-old coach, who wasn’t particularly keen on the idea of moving to Brazil, asked the Federation officials to wait until August. This request was, of course, rejected by Brazil, which had already planned to announce Carlo Ancelotti’s arrival in May to have him manage the upcoming FIFA international break in June. And so, the deal between Brazil and the Italian coach fell through.
Florentino Pérez’s plan
Very attached to Carlo Ancelotti, the esteemed president of Real Madrid does not want to rush things. Given that Xabi Alonso is keen to take the reins of the Madrid team after the Club World Cup, Florentino Pérez wants to see Ancelotti head to the United States and attempt to win the competition. Despite the option of Santiago Solari, who could manage the team during this upcoming competition, the 78-year-old president prefers to see the current technical staff at the Club World Cup.
After that, a grand tribute will be held for Carlo Ancelotti, who will be able to pocket the full salary of his contract, which runs until June 2026. In Madrid, the officials want to make it clear to Ancelotti that he’s not being sacked and should follow their rhythm and plan. With the offer from Saudi club Al Hilal, which promises €50 million per year, the Italian coach has no reason to rush to Brazil, where things are not going well within the Federation and around the national team.
With the possibility of remaining a lifelong ambassador for Real Madrid, collecting the full salary of his contract, going to the Club World Cup, and earning a higher salary by signing with Saudi Arabia, the choice to reject Brazil was a natural one. Considering that he currently has much better control over his squad, and that a change of coach could disrupt the team during the Club World Cup, it’s safe to say that Florentino played his hand perfectly.
As confirmed by Diario AS, Fabrizio Romano, and several other sources close to the situation regarding Carlo Ancelotti’s future, Xabi Alonso will indeed be the coach of Real Madrid next season. It’s just a matter of time to organise things properly.
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