Brazil, Diniz is not working out: Ancelotti is the number 1 candidate to take over, however…

Who knows if Carlo Ancelotti was awake last night in his villa in La Finca, a green suburb of Madrid, watching Brazil-Argentina. Match marked by shameful clashes and ended with a new ‘maracanazo’: 1-0 for Messi and friends. The consequences on a strictly sporting level are relative, 6.5 out of 10 national teams will arrive from South America at the 2026 World Cup, but the result is historic: the Seleção had never lost at home in a world championship qualifying match.

long wave

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This brings with it heavy consequences, and the long wave that starts from Copacabana still reaches Valdebebas high and strong. Which doesn’t have the sea but is the working home of Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid coach wanted by Ednaldo Rodrigues’ Cbf, known amicably as ‘Presinaldo’.

all safe

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The head of the Brazilian football federation has been chasing Ancelotti for months, and for weeks he has been telling everyone that he has won him over. Carlo never said anything. He has a contract with Casa Blanca until June 2024 and therefore only from January will he be able to enter into negotiations with others. There were contacts, and they proved fruitful. The rector of the University of Parma, conferring an honorary degree on Ancelotti from Parma, had no hesitation in saying that the recent graduate will be the Canarinha’s next coach. Carlo pretended not to hear as well as not to know.

shabby retreats

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Meanwhile in Brazil to wait for Ancelotti they first relied on Menezes, the Under 20 coach. It went badly. So they turned to Fernando Diniz, a local football guru who has just led Fluminense to the historic victory of the Libertadores. In the national team, however, Diniz stutters. He fails to apply the brilliant and modernist principles of his football. After a promising start, a goal against Bolivia and a victory in Peru, there was a bad home draw with Venezuela and double defeats in Uruguay and Colombia.

begative primates

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Another record: Brazil had never lost twice in a row on their way to the World Cup. And since there’s no two without three, here’s yesterday’s crash against the world champions which leaves the Seleção in sixth place in the South American ranking for the 2026 cup.

everyone talks about it

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Even before this fall in Brazil there was talk of nothing but Ancelotti. And this had led to the non-random positioning of a couple of Madrid journalists very close to the Casa Blanca. Ancelotti is waiting in Rio and San Paolo, with all due respect to Romario who told Carletto to screw himself, without mincing words. In Madrid, however, Florentino Pérez is not so sure he wants to let him go. The Real president has not yet identified a suitable replacement for him.

the Basque

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The number one candidate is Xabi Alonso, who is making Bayer Leverkusen fly. However, neither Florentino nor the Basque are entirely convinced of the matter. So they keep Ancelotti warm at the Casa Blanca. They pamper him, shower him with praise.

Cinderella

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Carlo knows very well that all this attention can turn into indignation and rejection faster than Cinderella’s carriage at midnight, and for this reason he remains silent. And he enjoys the esteem, interest and court of two super institutions such as Brazil and Real Madrid. Carlo gave his approval to the Brazilian offer, but on one condition: no longer being linked to Real Madrid. If Pérez were to offer him a renewal, Ancelotti will accept it.

carioca frustration

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This obviously creates indecision, frustration and confusion in Rio de Janeiro. Where they hoped that Diniz would do with dignity to manage the months that separate from the Copa America, which will begin in mid-June. Rodrigues took it for granted that Ancelotti could lead Brazil to the competition, which however begins two weeks after the Champions League final and two weeks before the end of Carlo’s contract with Madrid. The time calculations don’t add up.

rooting against

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And so ‘Presinaldo’ has only one thing left to do: to swoon to death against Madrid, hoping that they will exit the Champions League quickly and badly and that they will also struggle in La Liga, which would in turn cause the fatal wrath of Florentino and the consequent Ancelotti’s dismissal. But spring is still several months away, and the atmosphere in Rio is scorching, not only due to the exceptional heat wave that hit the city.