Brazil waiting in the wings: Real Madrid quietly ‘signed’ Carlo Ancelotti’s successor amid UEFA Champions League crisis
Back-to-back defeats have sent shockwaves through the Santiago Bernabeu. First, a humbling 2-1 loss to Valencia in La Liga, followed by a 3-0 demolition at the hands of Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg, has reportedly left Carlo Ancelotti’s position at Real Madrid hanging by a thread. While the Italian manager has maintained a calm front in the media, inside the corridors of power, the winds of change are already blowing.
Ancelotti, who guided Madrid to a treble last season, now finds himself at a precarious crossroads. The club is still in contention for three major titles, but a mounting list of underwhelming performances has raised doubts about whether he’s the man to carry Madrid forward.
Adding to the uncertainty is the looming specter of Brazil, whose national team is actively pursuing Ancelotti for their vacant managerial role. With Florentino Perez known for his ruthlessness, the question is no longer if, but when the axe will fall.
Ancelotti’s future: Brazil beckons
As Real Madrid weigh their next move, Brazil is lurking. The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) recently dismissed Dorival Junior and is said to be ready to accelerate negotiations with Ancelotti—should he become available. CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues remains keen on appointing Ancelotti to lead the Seleção into the 2026 World Cup.
Ancelotti has repeatedly dismissed suggestions that he is actively seeking a way out of Madrid, but if the club shows him the door, Brazil’s offer could quickly become reality.
“I don’t know! Maybe a lot of people have gotten tired, but I don’t think the most important person has. And that’s what counts,” the Italian manager said earlier this week, referring to Perez. “He’s happy with me; he supports me, he helps me. And that’s what I count on. If a lot of people get tired later, I don’t care.”
But sentiment may not be enough. Perez has rarely hesitated when it comes to reshaping the club’s direction—especially when silverware is on the line.
‘He’s signed’: Spanish journalist drops bombshell
While fans and pundits debate Ancelotti’s future, behind the scenes, the decision may have already been made. Appearing on COPE’s El Partidazo, Spanish journalist Paco Gonzalez revealed an explosive detail from a source close to the club.
“Before this match [Arsenal], at midday, someone who knows someone said that there was no more question, that Xabi Alonso was signed,” Gonzalez shared. “I have no idea, right? But there are people who think he’s a sure thing.”
Xabi Alonso, the Bayer Leverkusen tactician and Madrid legend, has long been tipped as a future Los Blancos coach. He was heavily linked with both Liverpool and Madrid last summer, but opted to stay in Germany to steer Leverkusen toward a historic Bundesliga triumph.
What’s more, according to Relevo, the Spaniard is the number one candidate, and some insiders already consider his appointment a done deal. Still, with the Bundesliga side insisting that Alonso is committed to his current project, questions remain as to how and when a transition might happen.