Ancelotti Turns Down Brazil Job as CBF Ends Talks; Jorge Jesus Emerges as Favorite

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has officially ended negotiations with Carlo Ancelotti after a verbal agreement with the Italian coach collapsed in recent days. As reported by ge, O Globo, and Terra, a series of factors led to the decision — including Real Madrid's unwillingness to release him, Ancelotti's concerns about security in Brazil, and a massive offer from Saudi Arabia.

According to journalist André Rizek, Real Madrid refused to pay the termination fee required to release Ancelotti early from his contract, which runs through June 2026. While the club has been planning for his departure after a disappointing season — including a Champions League exit and a Copa del Rey final loss — president Florentino Pérez insisted he would only release Ancelotti without financial compensation. The coach, however, wanted to receive the full buyout.

Beyond the financial dispute, Ancelotti expressed concerns about the internal instability of the CBF and overall safety in Brazil, which further complicated the deal. Despite a verbal agreement to take over in June, Ancelotti informed the federation on Tuesday that he would only be available in August, after the FIFA Club World Cup. This clashed with the CBF's expectations to have a new manager in place for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador (June 5) and Paraguay (June 10).

At the same time, Spanish outlets Marca and AS revealed that Ancelotti received a lucrative offer from an unnamed Saudi club — reportedly around €50 million per year — far exceeding the €8 million annually proposed by the CBF. The Saudi offer played a decisive role in his withdrawal. Ancelotti reportedly traveled to London on Monday to finalize the agreement with Brazil, but instead informed federation officials — and personally called CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues — that he was pulling out.

With Ancelotti out of the picture, CBF is now turning to Jorge Jesus, currently with Al-Hilal, as the top candidate. The Portuguese coach has publicly expressed interest in leading Brazil and was always considered a Plan B by the federation. However, his participation in the Club World Cup with Al-Hilal could complicate immediate availability.

The preliminary squad list for the June FIFA window must be submitted to FIFA by May 18. CBF leadership still hopes the new coach will be able to announce the final 23-player roster, but the timeline now depends on how quickly they can close a deal with Jorge Jesus or identify an alternative.