Want to Stay: Carlo Ancelotti Happy to Choose Real Madrid Over Brazil

Carlo Ancelotti said that he was delighted to have prolonged his stay at Real Madrid until 2026 on Tuesday, despite an approach to take over as coach of Brazil.

It had been reported in July last year that 64-year-old Ancelotti would become the first foreigner to coach Brazil in almost 60 years, before the Italian penned his new deal with the Spanish giants.

Ancelotti had been linked with a move to Brazil for months, with the president of the Brazilian Football Confederation publicly expressing his desire to hire the Italian.

But Ancelotti had said all along that he would like to remain at Madrid if the club wanted him.

“Everyone knows that I had contact with the president of the Brazilian federation,” Ancelotti said.

“I want to thank him for the affection and interest he showed towards me,” he said on the eve of Madrid’s match against Mallorca in La Liga.

Ancelotti has won the Champions League four times — twice with AC Milan and twice with Real Madrid, where he says he would like to stay on beyond his current deal.

“In 2026, depending on my results, I may still be there. I want to be the coach of Madrid (…) and I hope to be able to continue being that in 2027 and 2028 because I want to stay here,” he said.

Ancelotti has also won domestic league titles with Real and Milan, in England with Chelsea, in Germany with Bayern Munich and in France with Paris Saint-Germain.

Financial details of the new contract were not disclosed.

This is Ancelotti’s second stint with Madrid. He previously coached the club from 2013-15, and returned in 2021.

Ancelotti has won 10 titles with Madrid, including two Champions Leagues and one Spanish league. He is also the only coach to have steered teams to titles in Europe’s five top national leagues, in Spain, England, Italy, Germany and France.

The 64-year-old Ancelotti has been linked to Brazil’s men’s team since Tite stepped down as its coach in December 2022 after the World Cup in Qatar. Brazil is being coached by Fluminense manager Fernando Diniz.

(With inputs from Agencies)