'Made me very proud' - Carlo Ancelotti confirms he was in contact with Brazil before signing Real Madrid extension and leaves door open to national team role

Ancelotti, whose contract would have expired at the end of the current season, recently penned a new deal with Real Madrid that will now keep him at the club until June 2026. After committing his future to Los Blancos, the Italian manager has now admitted that he was in talks with former CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues over the possibility of taking charge of the Brazil national team but he finally opted to stay back in Spain for two more years.

Speaking to reporters, the 64-year-old said, "The reality is what everyone knows. I had contact with the [now former] president of the Brazilian federation, Ednaldo Rodrigues. I want to thank him for his affection and interest, it made me very proud, but what's clear to everyone is it depends on my situation at Real Madrid. I'm grateful for the interest but in the end, it turned out how I wanted: staying here."

He added, "It's exciting to think about, but I don't know if the Brazil national team will want me in 2026. Obviously, I'm very happy with my renewal. It was quite straightforward, it was fast, without problems, without doubts. It's my last job, that's what I've said before and I confirm it. But when this [contract] is over in 2026, I could carry on. It depends on the success we have... I'll be coach until 2026 and let's hope in 2027 and 2028."

As per The Athletic, the new contract that the manager signed includes the possibility of him moving onto another role at the club instead of staying on as head coach until 2026. This is not the first time that the Spanish giants offered such a deal. In 2018, Santiago Solari was promoted from the Castilla to the main team as he replaced Julen Lopetegui at the helm but was removed from the role in following year, only for the club to ask him to remain in a different capacity.

The former Chelsea boss will now focus on consolidating his team's position at the top of La Liga as the club returns to action after a short winter break on Wednesday when they take on Mallorca at Santiago Bernabeu.