Carlo Ancelotti's entourage has denied claims he's told his players he will leave Real Madrid in the summer to become the new manager of Brazil.
The reigning European champions are enduring a tough season under Ancelotti. They are second in LaLiga, eight points behind bitter rivals Barcelona. They also lost to Xavi's side in the Supercopa de Espana final - suffering a humbling 3-1 defeat in Saudi Arabia.
Real's president Florentino Perez, who is known for being trigger happy, is considering replacing Ancelotti with former boss Zinedine Zidane. That would allow Ancelotti to take the Brazil job, which is currently vacant following Tite's exit two months ago.
As reported by ESPN, Ancelotti will agree a three-year contract with Brazil, starting in July. The finer details of the deal are yet to be agreed, but it will run until after the next World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada - due to be held in the summer of 2026.
It is claimed Ancelotti has told the Brazilian members of his squad - Eder Militao, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo - that he will become their new head coach. They are said to be disappointed by his impending Real exit but are looking forward to him coaching Brazil.
According to The Athletic, however, Ancelotti's entourage has denied these rumours. More information is expected to follow in due course.
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Brazil are on the hunt for a new manager after Tite's exit. Tite was in charge of the South American country for six-and-a-half years - leading them to victory in the 2019 Copa America. Yet their failure to win the World Cup in Qatar led to his downfall.
Brazil were the favourites to win last year's World Cup but suffered a shock quarter-final exit to Croatia. To make matters worse, rivals Argentina went on to win the tournament. Brazil are five-time world champions, but haven't lifted the trophy since 2002.
They are in no rush to appoint Tite's successor, as their next major tournament isn't until 2024. That allows them to bide their time and potentially land Ancelotti in the summer - if he leaves Real. Brazil will be looking to win the 2024 Copa America in the United States.
Brazil are blessed with several talented players and will be one of the favourites for the next World Cup. Alisson, Ederson, Marquinhos, Lucas Paqueta, Richarlison, Gabriel Jesus, Antony and Gabriel Martinelli could all still be part of their squad for that tournament.
In terms of what Ancelotti brings to the table, there is no denying he is one of the greatest managers of all time. The iconic midfielder carried his success into his coaching career and has won 24 honours in management - adding to the 12 he won as a player.
Ancelotti has won a staggering six European Cups - four as a manager - and has won league titles in Italy, England, France, Spain and Germany. He's coached the likes of Chelsea, Juventus, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Napoli.
Perhaps the only alarm bell for Brazil's hierarchy is Ancelotti's lack of experience at international level. He has never coached a national team before, although he was part of the Italy team that reached the semi-finals of the World Cup on home soil in 1990.
