Brazilian football confederation chairman Ednaldo Rodrigues said that Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti will be in charge of the national team at next year's Copa America. Ancelotti has still not publicly confirmed any deal with the five-time World Cup champions. (More Football News)
Brazil has never had a full-time foreign coach in charge of its national team. But the internal pressure to do so increased after ⭕Tite, hailed by many as the best Brazili🙈an coach in the last decade, failed to deliver in the last two editions of the World Cup.
Rodrigues spoke to ꦯjournalists on Wednesday after he introdu꧑ced Fernando Diniz as the new Brazil coach until July next year in a news conference which featured several questions over the future role of Ancelotti.
"He wilꦇl be, he will be. You can be sure of that," Rodrigues said after being asked whether he had an agreement with Ancelotti to be the Brazil coach at the 2024 edition of Copa America. The 64-year-old Italian coach has a contract with Madrid which finishes when Diniz's 12-month contract with Brazil is due to expire.
"He (Ancelotti) has already said when he can be here," Rodrigues said, adding that⛄ he wants Diniz to work with Ancelotti after the Brazilian's contract expires.
"That will be up to Diniz, he takes one step at a time," Rodr꧋igues said.
Diniz is a favourite among players like Neymar and Thiago Silva, who publicly praised him as a potential n🔯ational team coach before the conversation abo꧟ut Ancelotti had started at the Brazilian soccer confederation.
Executives at th▨e Brazilian soccer confederation have indicated the intention is to wait a season and then bri⛄ng in Ancelotti to lead the team at the Copa America, which will be played in the United States from June 20 to July 14, and into the 2026 World Cup.
When asked why Ancelotti has not spoken about any agreement to coach Brazil 𒊎until the 2026 World Cup, Rodrigues said: "That's a detail. That's his right, he's the only one who can speak about it."
Ancelotti has won a record four Champions League trophies as a coach — two with AC Milan, two with Real Madrid. He has had a good rapport with Brazilian players 𒊎at Madrid, including Rodrygo, Eder Militão and Vinicius Jr. The latter has become🔴 one of the best players in the game under Ancelotti's guidance.
The 49-year-old Fluminense coach Diniz will keep his j🃏ob at the Rio de Janeiro club and join Brazil only for South American World Cup qualifiers. He takes over🦄 from Brazil U-20 team coach Ramon Menezes, who led the team into this year's friendlies on an interim basis, losing two out of three matches.
Tite, Brazil's previous long-term coach, left the job after a q🅷uarterfinal loss t𒁃o Croatia in the 2022 World Cup at Qatar.
Durꦬing the news conference, Diniz ꦯsaid he has never met Ancelotti and swerved questions related to the Italian.
"Ancelotti is a matter for the president, I will speak about my style," said Diniz, who doesn't have a signific🍌ant trophy collection, but is praised by both🍰 Brazil fans and players for his attacking strategies.
"I will repeatꦑ what brought me here," Diniz said in reference to his attacking style, pointing out with pride that he had "the best raw material in the world to execute my ideas."
Diniz was introduced without any other coaching staffers in another hint he won't stay on the job beyond his contract. But he claimed to have "total liberty" to perform his duties ဣuntil then in the eight matches — possibly more — that Braz▨il will play until Copa America begins.
"I talk to a lot o♔f people, I would never be able to do things by myself. We will have CBF staffers, I will bring some people ... we don't do anything in a rush and mౠake mistakes," Diniz said.
Diniz said he ꦕis counting on 31-year-old Neymar to keep playing f൲or Brazil, plus other players, "especially those aged 25, 26, 27 with World Cup experience on their backs."
Brazil's first match under Diniz will be at home on Sept. 7 against 🌊Bolivia in the first round of South American World Cup qualifiers. Until then, Diniz will split his duties as Fluminense coach in the Copa Libertadores and the Brazilian championship. Rodrigues said that U-20 team coach Menezes is likely to coach Brazil's team at the Paris Olympics next year.
