Brazilians getting impatient as soccer federation negotiates with Ancelotti to become next coach
SAO PAULO AP Brazil is hoping to have a new national company coach in place this month ahead of its next two World Cup qualifiers but fans are growing impatient as negotiations with Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti drag on Two sources at Brazil s soccer federation CBF endorsed to The Associated Press that negotiations with Ancelotti are ongoing but complicated by the fact that he has another season left on his Madrid contract Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren t authorized to discuss the issue publicly One of them explained the talks are led on the Brazil side by CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues and national unit director Rodrigo Caetano And they are keeping a lid on the negotiations It is clear there s no done deal with anyone for now he revealed He added that the federation is not in a rush while acknowledging that Brazil hopes to present a new coach before May when it announces the squad for its next two World Cup qualifying matches in June Brazil has been without a coach since Dorival J nior was fired on March three days after a - loss to bitter rival Argentina in Buenos Aires Speculation about Ancelotti s departure from Madrid and a realizable move to Brazil has grown during what has turned into a mediocre season for the Spanish powerhouse It was eliminated by Arsenal in the Champions League quarterfinals lost the Spanish cup final to Barcelona and is trailing the Catalan club by four points with five rounds remaining in the Spanish league Madrid has not commented on Ancelotti s future beyond noting that he has a contract with the club until the end of next season For his part the -year-old Italian has dodged questions about Brazil saying he will remain with Madrid as long as the club president Florentino P rez wants him to stay Certain Real Madrid fans say Ancelotti has reached the end of the road with the club and are hoping for Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso to replace him Meanwhile pressure is mounting in Brazil for the soccer federation to sign a coach that can help re-invigorate the five-time World Cup champions after a series of poor results and performances Brazil has not reached a World Cup final since winning the trophy in The country s last international men s title was the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics held in due to the COVID- pandemic Brazil is in the present fourth in South American qualifying for the World Cup points behind group leader and defending champion Argentina which already has secured its World Cup spot after rounds Brazilian media have shared that Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus in the present at Saudi Arabia s Al-Hilal is an alternative if a deal with Ancelotti doesn t work out Several commentators would rather see a Brazilian in charge of the squad We should let one of our coaches do it I would have left Dorival on the job Cafu world champion with Brazil in and communicated Brazil s SBT structure on Monday Galvao Bueno a sports commentator who often speaks as a hardcore Brazil fan on Tuesday reported that the CBF has embarrassed Brazil with its choices since coach Tite left in the end of Ramon Menezes and Fernando Diniz had successive caretaker roles for about half a year each and Dorival was in charge for just over a year What the CBF has done to Brazilian soccer is absurd Four years with two interim coaches it is a shame Bueno declared We have discussed whether Ancelotti is coming or not since January It looks absolutely ridiculous It remains unclear whether Ancelotti or another coach will be in place in time to name the squad for the World Cup qualifiers in early June away against Ecuador and at home against Paraguay Real Madrid s last league match is on May The next event on the crew s schedule is the Club World Cup in the United States which starts in mid-June AP Sports Writer Tales Azzoni in Madrid contributed to this reporter AP soccer https apnews com hub soccer Source
