Carlo Ancelotti's Loyalty to Brazil Over Italy
Carlo Ancelotti did not dodge Italy for money. He walked away out of loyalty.
Speaking to ESPN, the Brazil head coach addressed for the first time the approach from former Italy technical director Paolo Maldini, who had sounded him out about taking over the Azzurri.
“It’s not a contract issue; that’s not the reason,” Ancelotti said. “It’s because I have a commitment to the CBF and to this country, because this country has welcomed me so warmly during this first year.
“I want to stay here. And I thanked the Italian Federation, of course, but I want to stay here because I believe it’s right and fair to remain in a country that has welcomed me so warmly, at an institution that has given me the opportunity to work.”
Those words close the door, at least for now, on a romantic return to the national team of his homeland. Ancelotti was only appointed Brazil head coach a year ago and signed a contract extension through 2030 before the start of the World Cup, a deal that underlined the CBF’s faith in him as the architect of a long-term project.
Maldini’s ambitious pitch
Behind the scenes, Maldini had tried to reshape Italy’s future with a bold idea. The former AC Milan captain, then Italy’s technical director, contacted both Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola to offer them the national job. It was a statement of intent: go after the very best.
When those options faded, Maldini turned to Andrea Pirlo, another former Milan teammate and on-field disciple of Ancelotti. Pirlo’s appointment, though, never received the final seal of approval.
FIGC president Giovanni Malagò refused to confirm Pirlo, officially because of the former midfielder’s links with a Russian betting company. The move left Italy in limbo and exposed deep fault lines at the top of the federation.
The fallout was swift. Maldini, along with his advisor Leonardo, resigned from their roles. With that axis gone, Malagò pivoted. Roberto Mancini was chosen as Italy’s new head coach and Claudio Ranieri installed as the new technical director, a more conservative and familiar pairing after Maldini’s ambitious, outward-looking shortlist.
A bond that wasn’t enough
That Maldini turned first to Ancelotti was no coincidence. The two men are bound by Milan’s golden years. Maldini played under Ancelotti at San Siro, and together they lifted multiple trophies, including two UEFA Champions League titles. Player and coach, captain and strategist, they helped define an era.
This time, that bond was not enough to pull Ancelotti away from Brazil.
He has thrown himself into the role, publicly embracing the country and its expectations. The extension to 2030 is not just a contract; it is a statement that he intends to see this project through, from the current World Cup cycle into the next.
Italy, meanwhile, move on with Mancini and Ranieri, while the coach who once symbolised their club game now builds something entirely different in yellow and green. The question for the Azzurri is simple: will they come to regret the day Carlo Ancelotti chose Brazil over home?
