Carlo Ancelotti Set to Leave Real Madrid for Brazil
The second period of Carlo Ancelotti`s management at Real Madrid is officially coming to an end.
Ancelotti will depart the club following their final La Liga fixture of the current season on May 25, as he is set to take on the Brazil national team role that he has long been linked with. His tenure with Brazil is scheduled to commence on May 26. He will be in charge for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay in June, initiating the team`s preparations for the 2026 World Cup tournament.
His appointment makes him the latest high-profile manager to transition from club football to an international coaching position in anticipation of the 2026 World Cup, a list that includes figures like Mauricio Pochettino (USA), Thomas Tuchel (England), and Julian Nagelsmann (Germany). While Ancelotti`s arrival certainly adds excitement to the next tournament cycle, it also serves as a stark reminder of the significant challenge facing Brazil. The five-time World Cup champions have appeared somewhat unsettled since their quarterfinal elimination by Croatia at the 2022 World Cup. This lack of direction has been evident in their qualifying campaign for 2026, where they managed only two wins from their initial six matches, and also in their quarterfinal exit from last year`s Copa America. The new head coach is tasked with stabilizing the team and finally getting the best performances from a talented attacking unit, notably featuring Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, who have excelled for Ancelotti at Real Madrid but not yet consistently for the national side.
Regarding Real Madrid, Ancelotti leaves behind a club he has become deeply associated with through two remarkably successful spells. He himself noted the strong connection, stating that his `honeymoon` with Madrid would last `until the last day of my life`. During his time, he secured three of his five UEFA Champions League titles with Real Madrid, establishing himself as the most successful manager in the competition`s history, in addition to winning two La Liga titles. Xabi Alonso, a former Real Madrid player who has recently achieved success by winning the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen, is widely expected to succeed Ancelotti. Ancelotti previously described Alonso as `one of the best coaches in the world`.
As Ancelotti embraces a new challenge with Brazil, he leaves a substantial task at Real Madrid. Los Blancos are on track to finish the season without claiming a domestic or continental title for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign. They haven`t fully maximized their recently assembled `Galacticos` squad, which includes Kylian Mbappe. While the French international has been a valuable addition, the season has repeatedly shown an imbalance in the squad and the necessity for improvements in several areas of the pitch. Ancelotti returned to Madrid in 2021 to bring stability, but his confirmed departure signals the beginning of a significant transition phase for the club.
Premier League Promotion Race Continues in Championship Playoff Semi-finals
The battle to secure the final spot in the upcoming Premier League season continues this week. The field of competing teams will be reduced from four to two following the second legs of the Championship`s promotion playoff semi-finals.
One team appears to have effectively booked their place in the playoff final: Sheffield United. The Blades will host Bristol City on Monday holding a significant advantage after winning the first leg 3-0, with goals from Harrison Burrows, Andre Brooks, and Callum O`Hare. This reflects the considerable gap between the teams in the league standings, as Bristol finished 24 points behind United. Sheffield United is aiming for an immediate return to the Premier League after finishing last in the top flight last season, having maintained faith in manager Chris Wilder throughout this period in hopes of bouncing straight back up.
The second tie is expected to be more closely contested. Sunderland will host Coventry City on Tuesday with a narrow 2-1 lead from the first leg. Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda scored to give Sunderland this slim advantage. The team is striving for their first Premier League season since the 2016-17 campaign, which ended in relegation. The Black Cats have experienced a dramatic journey since then, including immediate relegation to League One where they spent four seasons before returning to the Championship for the 2022-23 season. Meanwhile, the Coventry side, led by Frank Lampard, hopes to reach the Premier League for the first time since the 2000-01 season, having spent over two decades fluctuating in England`s lower divisions.
All teams are competing for a spot in the promotion playoff final scheduled for May 24 at Wembley Stadium in London. This match is famously known as the sport`s richest game. Securing a place in the Premier League comes with immense financial rewards, potentially worth hundreds of millions of pounds. Even finishing last in the top flight last season earned Sheffield United approximately $145 million, a figure significantly larger than the roughly $65 million they received in the Championship this season as a recently relegated side.
