Brazil's heartbreaking 2022 FIFA World Cup exit at the hands of Croatia brought an end to Tite's six-year reign.
The 61-year-old tactician, who took over the Selecao back in 2016, stepped down as the national team boss following the South American giants' quarterfinal defeat, losing to Modric and Co. on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time.
While much of the post-match conversation surrounded Neymar and whether this would be his final FIFA World Cup tournament, the CBF's focus has been on finding a new manager, and according to UOL Esporte, the five-time world champions have identified the ideal successor to Tite.
That man is none other than Carlo Ancelotti, the iconic Real Madrid manager who just so happens to be one of Tite's closest friends. The aforementioned news outlet claims that the CBF have their eyes on a foreign coach to lead them to the 2026 tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the USA. Two names were identified and they were Pep Guardiola and Los Blancos' Italian tactician.
Guardiola has just signed a contract extension with Manchester City, ruling him out as a viable option. Carletto, on the other hand, was much more open to this idea during talks that were held in October but refused to negotiate until the job became vacant.
Additionally, Ancelotti would need to see the project on offer and would only be willing to take up this role on June 2023 as he wishes to complete the ongoing season with his current employers.
If Brazil are to hire the Italian, they will need to accomplish two things. First of all, the CONMEBOL powerhouse would need to enter into negotiations with Real Madrid as Ancelotti's current Santiago Bernabeu contract runs until 2024. Additionally, the CBF would have to find an interim boss to take over the helm until the iconic manager becomes available.
This deal makes sense as Ancelotti enjoys a lovely relationship with a number of the Selecao players, particularly Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, and Eder Militao — all three play for the Italian boss in La Liga.
However, he is not the only man on Brazil's radar. Palmeiras head coach Abel Ferreira is also a candidate while Fluminense's Fernando Diniz has the support of several key players in the national team setup, namely Daniel Alves, Thiago Silva, Bruno Guimarães, Antony, and Neymar.
