Carlo Ancelotti named as shock target for Brazil manager job
By Tom Gott
The Brazilian football federation (CBF) are looking for a high-profile replacement for Tite to lead the team into the 2026 World Cup and Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has been named as a target.
Tite stepped down from his post following the Selecao's quarter-final elimination from the 2022 World Cup, with his contract also up at the end of the month, and now Brazil are on the hunt for the leader of their new era.
According to UOL, Ancelotti has emerged as a leading target for the vacant role, taking over from Pep Guardiola after months and months of fruitless speculation that the Manchester City boss could be lured away.
Those in charge of the Selecao have publicly insisted that no contact has been made with any possible successors, vowing that a decision on a new coach will be made in January 2023.
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However, while this report acknowledges the CBF's statement, there are still claims that Ancelotti was contacted in October to gauge his interest in taking the job. As the story goes, the Italian would be open to taking the job at the end of the season.
That would come as a direct contradiction to Ancelotti himself, after the Real boss stressed back in August that he would retire whenever he leaves the Santiago Bernabeu.
"This stage at Real will end my career," he confessed. "After Los Blancos, I'll stop."
Reports in Spain have backed up Ancelotti's stance, insisting Real remains his sole focus and pointing to the fact that he remains under contract until 2024.