Brazilian football concluded 2023 without a president in charge of the sport's governing body and without a confirmed head coach after the disappointment of securing Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti for the role.

The announcement by Real Madrid on Friday regarding Ancelotti's renewal not only thwarted the Brazilian Football Confederation's (CBF) intention to hire the Italian coach but also intensified the ongoing sports and administrative crisis within the organization.

Ancelotti's arrival, slated for mid-2024 to assume the role of head coach, currently held on an interim basis by Fluminense coach Fernando Diniz, was championed by Ednaldo Rodrigues, who was removed from the CBF presidency by a court order.

An Unconfirmed Agreement

In July, during Diniz's presentation as interim coach, Rodrigues confidently asserted Ancelotti's imminent arrival to lead the Canarinha from the 2024 Copa America in the United States. However, Rodrigues did not clarify whether any formal pre-contract had been signed.

Despite Ancelotti consistently denying any verbal agreement with the CBF, Rodrigues downplayed the situation. The purported agreement was met with opposition from fans, journalists, and football personalities advocating for a local coach.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and senator and former footballer Romário were among those voicing their dissent against Ancelotti, supporting local coaches like Diniz or São Paulo's Dorival Júnior.

Plan B and National Team Struggles

Rodrigues, responding to journalists in July, confirmed that if the Ancelotti deal fell through, he had a "Plan B" in mind, including names like Portuguese coaches Abel Ferreira of Palmeiras and Jorge Jesús of Saudi club Al-Hilal, along with Diniz.

In addition to the coaching uncertainty, Brazil's national team has had an inconsistent performance, going four matches without a win in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Brazil currently sits in sixth place with seven points, eight points behind the leader, Argentina.

Internal Conflicts at CBF

Beyond the sports-related issues, the crisis in Brazilian football extends to administrative matters. Legal challenges rejected an agreement allowing Rodrigues to run unopposed for a four-year term in 2022. The court's ruling appointed José Perdiz, president of the Sports Court of Rio de Janeiro, as an intervener, mandating new elections within 30 days to permanently replace Rodrigues.

FIFA and the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) expressed concern in a letter about the crisis within the Brazilian football governing body and raised questions about the appointment of Perdiz as an intervener.