Carlo Ancelotti, who was the last Everton manager to see them atop the Premier League before it all went sour for him on Merseyside, has agreed to take over as head coach of the Brazil national team.
For a team so deeply tied to the nation’s ‘beautiful game’ identity, the decision to bring in a foreign coach — one of Europe’s elite — signals a desperation to win and an ambition for the struggling Selecao to turn a corner.
“Ancelotti was the main choice because he has an unrivalled tradition of success, winning in five countries,” said South American football expert Tim Vickery.
Brazil have not won the World Cup since they did it for the fifth time in 2002, and their recent exits have been painful signals of decline. The most dismal came in 2014, when Brazil, hosting the World Cup, were humiliated 7-1 by Germany in the semi-finals.
Belgium got the better of Brazil in a 2018 quarter-final, while 2022 trophy hopes were dashed by defeat to Croatia on penalties in the last eight.
“Every campaign since 2002 has ended as soon as the side has come up against a European team in the knockout stages,” said Vickery.
“It’s become a hoodoo they want to overcome and another reason they’ve gone with a European coach this time round. They’re saying ‘if we want to beat them next time round, we need someone who knows them’.”
Ancelotti’s Brazilian adventure will officially begin on 26 May, as the 65-year-old Italian ends his stint at Real Madrid, where Xabi Alonso is expected to be his successor.
Vickery said: “We were hearing last year that the senior players weren’t sold on Dorival Junior, but there will be none of that with Carlo Ancelotti. He has instant credibility in the dressing room.”