Real Madrid are now certain to make a change of management ahead of next season.
Head coach Carlo Ancelotti has seen his position come under increasing scrutiny as 2024/25 has neared its conclusion. Setbacks in critical matches — the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal exit to Arsenal, and the defeats to Barcelona in the finals of the Supercopa de Espana, Copa del Rey and La Liga — have proved particularly damaging.
It has long been expected that Ancelotti will be replaced, perhaps even before the FIFA Club World Cup gets underway in June. Xabi Alonso is the heavy favourite to take over, with an announcement over Ancelotti's future predicted to come this week.
On April 28, it seemed as though the veteran coach had secured his next job, with talks over the Brazil national-team role apparently going well. Two days later, things suddenly look a lot less clear. Now, however, that move has been being confirmed.
The Sporting News has the latest.
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When is Carlo Ancelotti leaving Real Madrid?
Ancelotti will leave Real Madrid once the La Liga season has ended and therefore before the Club World Cup in June.
On May 12, The Athletic's David Ornstein reported that Ancelotti had signed a contract to become the next Brazil head coach and that he would leave Madrid after their last game of the league season against Real Sociedad over the weekend of May 24-25.
Bayer Leverkusen head coach Alonso is expected to be his replacement. The former Madrid midfielder has already announced he will leave the Bundesliga club.
Speaking ahead of the Clasico defeat to Barcelona on May 12, Ancelotti would not be drawn on the specifics over his future, but he did seem to indicate that his time in charge was coming to a close.
"With this club, the honeymoon doesn't end. It will go on forever," he said.
"Real Madrid, like [AC] Milan before, are teams that remain in my heart more than others. This is quite normal because of the time spent here and because I feel very good here.
"The honeymoon with Madrid will be until the last day of my life."
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Will Carlo Ancelotti be the next Brazil coach?
Despite initial talks looking positive, it was reported on April 30 indicated that the deal with Brazil could be close to collapsing, leaving Ancelotti's future less certain.
However, a deal is in place for the Italian to take charge. David Ornstein's report indicated Ancelotti would begin his new role on May 26, meaning he would be in place for Brazil's FIFA World Cup qualifying matches in June.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) then confirmed the appointment later that day.
"The greatest national team in the history of football will now be led by the most successful coach in the world," they said in a statement.
"Carlo Ancelotti, who is synonymous with historic achievements, was announced this Monday (May 12) as the new coach of the Brazilian national team by the president of the CBF, Ednaldo Rodrigues.
"He will lead Brazil until the 2026 World Cup and will take charge of the team for the next two qualifying games against Ecuador and Paraguay next month."
Ednaldo Rodrigues said: "Bringing in Carlo Ancelotti to lead Brazil is more than a strategic move. It is a statement to the world that we are determined to reclaim top spot on the podium. He is the greatest coach in history and now he is leading the greatest national team on the planet. Together, we will write new glorious chapters for Brazilian football."
Conflicting reports emerged around why talks with Brazil initially hit a road block, although the most concrete pointed to Madrid's intransigence over paying up the rest of Ancelotti's wages.
Fabrizio Romano suggested Madrid's conditions on how the coach's contract termination would be processed have caused an issue. ESPN echoed this, stating: "Madrid are unwilling to pay the remainder of Ancelotti's contract, which expires in 2026, leaving a move that seemed to be nearing completion at the start of the week at an impasse."
Globo in Brazil even claimed negotiations had stopped, with Brazil turning back to former leading candidate Jorge Jesus. However, ESPN later reported that Brazil were prepared to wait for their top target, and it seems that the CBF's patience has paid off.