Ancelotti First Promised Brazil, Then Changed His Mind
Carlo Ancelotti’s Tense 48 Hours: Real Madrid Did Not Prevent His Move to Brazil
Marca has denied recent reports suggesting Real Madrid interfered in Carlo Ancelotti’s agreement with the Brazilian national team.
Recent reports in Spanish media claimed Carlo Ancelotti, who had initially agreed to coach Brazil, backed out due to obstacles set by Real Madrid. It was suggested that Florentino Pérez informed Ancelotti that Real would not pay his salary for the next season if he left before his contract ended.
However, Marca, citing sources close to Ancelotti, refuted these claims, stating that Real Madrid played no role in his decision and that there were no discussions between Pérez and Ancelotti regarding his salary.
Marca reports that Ancelotti met with Brazilian Football Confederation officials in London. Despite Brazil’s insistence that he sign a memorandum of understanding immediately, Ancelotti declined and returned to Madrid. While verbal agreements were reached, Ancelotti never signed the contract.
This meeting took place on the night of Real Madrid’s Champions League quarterfinal against Arsenal. When Ancelotti returned without signing, Brazil sent a representative to Madrid to renegotiate. They sought a solution where Ancelotti would skip the Club World Cup and join Brazil in June.
Ancelotti was even asked to announce Brazil’s squad for matches against Ecuador and Paraguay on May 26, the day after La Liga’s season ended.
Marca states that during a follow-up meeting in Madrid, disagreements arose between Ancelotti and Brazilian officials, unrelated to Real Madrid. Contrary to claims, Pérez and Ancelotti never discussed salary issues. Brazil hoped Ancelotti would sign in Madrid, but he refused again.
The report adds that Pérez had allowed Ancelotti to negotiate with Brazil but did not want him to sign anything before the season ended, as Brazil would publicize the deal immediately. Pérez did not want headlines announcing Ancelotti’s move while the season was still ongoing.
Marca concludes that no one, not even those involved in the negotiations, knows why Ancelotti ultimately rejected Brazil. One surprising theory is a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia. Sources close to Ancelotti say he mentioned a serious proposal from Saudi Arabia during talks with Brazil in London.
