Izuchukwu Okosi
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti will step down from his position at the end of the 2023/2024 La Liga season to take up the coaching job for the Brazilian national team.
In a statement made by the Brazilian Football Federation on Wednesday, Ancelotti, the current coach of Real Madrid from Italy, is set to become the head coach of Brazil’s national team for the 2024 Copa America.
This news follows the federation’s earlier announcement that Fernando Diniz from Fluminense would temporarily lead the team.
Ancelotti, who still has one season left on his contract with Real Madrid, will assume the role for Brazil in preparation for the Copa America, scheduled to take place in the United States in June 2024.
Ancelotti, the former coach of AC Milan and Chelsea, will make history as the first foreigner to coach Brazil in nearly six decades.
The most recent foreign coach of Brazil was Filpo Nunez from Argentina, who had a one-game stint in 1965.
Carlo Ancelotti, aged 64, has had a remarkable career, achieving numerous accomplishments. He has won the prestigious UEFA Champions League on two occasions, both with AC Milan and Real Madrid.
Ancelotti
He also won the feat as a PLayer for the Milan giants.
Additionally, Ancelotti has claimed domestic league titles in various countries. He secured league titles in England with Chelsea, in Germany with Bayern Munich, in France with Paris Saint-Germain, and also with Real Madrid and AC Milan.
After Brazil’s elimination at the quarter-final stage to Croatia in the previous year’s World Cup, Tite, who was their coach at the time, stepped down from his position.
Following the departure of Tite, Ramon Menezes took charge of the team temporarily as a caretaker.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) had previously released a statement indicating that Fernando Diniz would assume the role of leading the team for the upcoming year.
“Fernando Diniz will lead the Brazilian team for a year, and I’m sure he will do it with great competence, as always during his professional career,” said CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues in a video statement.
“It is a dream, an honor and a huge pride to serve the national team,” Diniz said in response to his appointment
The 49-year-old coach, Fernando Diniz will take charge of the Brazilian national team for the six South American qualifying games leading up to the 2026 World Cup, which will be played this year. This includes important matches against Argentina and Uruguay.
Brazil’s qualifying campaign will commence in September with a home match against Bolivia, followed by an away match against Peru. These matches mark the beginning of their journey to secure a spot in the World Cup.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
