The white club dropped the bomb in a brief statement on Friday, in the middle of the festive period: “Real Madrid CF and Carlo Ancelotti have agreed to extend our coach’s contract until June 30, 2026.”
A news that clashes head-on with the announcement by the leaders of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) last July, that they expected the Italian to take over as coach from June 2024. Carlo Ancelotti was expected for the Copa América 2024, organized in the United States (June 20 – July 14).
Brazil had named Fernando Diniz as interim, who has not managed to revive the results of a moribund “Seleçao” that suffered three consecutive defeats in October and November, one of them at home against its great rival Argentina, in a tense climate.
When contacted by AFP on Friday, the CBF declined to comment.
For his part, Ancelotti never publicly confirmed his future in Brazil, becoming elusive about it. “I’m still here. There are many rumors but I think everything will be clarified soon. Obviously, as I have said on numerous occasions, I am very happy at Real Madrid. I am a little selfish, of course,” he declared at a press conference on October 21.
Harvest of titles
The president of Real Madrid Florentino Pérez has visibly found arguments to convince him to prioritize his continuity in the club with the greatest honors in Europe.
And the results have been mostly good during the first half of the season: leader of the League and qualification for the Champions League round of 16 with full victories in the group stage.
This despite the fact that everything seemed to indicate a season of transition after the departure of Karim Benzema for Saudi Arabia and with a plague of injuries.
But Real Madrid has recovered from the emergency faster than expected thanks to a new star. Ancelotti has given the keys to the team to young Jude Bellingham, 20 years old and signed from Borussia Dortmund, and since his arrival he has accumulated goals (17) and assists (5).
Carlo Ancelotti will be able to continue the harvest he started with the club, which he joined in 2021 after a first step between 2013 and 2015: two Champions Leagues, two Club World Cups, a League and two Copas del Rey among other titles.
The nicknamed “Mister” has won numerous titles in the most prestigious European clubs he has played for (AC Milan, Chelsea, Bayern Munich…), winning four Champions Leagues and the title of national champion in the five major championships. It is true that he had less success on other benches, such as Juventus Turin, Naples or Paris SG.
The turn of the Ancelotti case could generate new enmities in Brazil. President Lula was not too enthusiastic during the rumors last summer: “He has never been Italy’s coach. Why doesn’t he solve the problems of Italy, which did not even qualify for the last World Cup?”
Before qualifying: “If there is one thing that could help him in Brazil, it is his ability to calm things down.”
