Brazil

Brazil chairman says Carlo Ancelotti will take over national team in 2024

Published Jul. 5, 2023 5:00 p.m. ET

Brazilian soccer confederation chairman Ednaldo Rodrigues said Wednesday 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.

Rodrigues spoke to journalists after he introduced Fernando Diniz as the new Brazil coach until July next year.

"He will 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.

Executives at the Brazilian soccer confederation have indicated the intention is to wait a season and then bring 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 until the 2026 World Cup, Rodrigues said: "That’s a detail. That’s his right, he’s the only one who can speak about it."

The 49-year-old Fluminense coach Diniz will keep his job 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 quarterfinal loss to Croatia in the 2022 World Cup at Qatar.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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