Carlo Ancelotti should answer Brazil's call: Time is right for Real Madrid boss to walk away from Los Blancos

It's quite easy to see what Brazil need. Their three best footballers - Neymar, Vinicius and Rodrygo - are all true mavericks of the game, unbelievably talented individuals that, when used correctly, are as good as anyone on the planet.

However, managers, especially in recent years, have struggled to figure them out and Dorival was particularly poor in that respect. He was in a constant state of uncertainty as to how to piece it all together.

The midfield trio of Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton and - when available - Lucas Paqueta, picked itself. Vinicius was a lock on the left. Rodrygo made sense either off the right or through the middle. Raphinha, in recent months, also worked his way into the side. But there wasn't much fluidity to it all.

The team was stagnant, predictable, and slow. Vinicius was kicked every time he touched the ball - and went on a legendary goal drought. Rodrygo never snuck into the right spaces. Raphinha failed to replicate his electric club form.

It was no surprise when Dorival was sacked. He was a poor manager out of his depth, stuck in the vacuum of Brazilian football for a team that is almost entirely global. What they need, instead, is someone who understands that - and can reach such a group.

Ancelotti isn't a tactical genius in the traditional sense. He is not reinventing, repackaging or remodeling football every year. There is no signature 'Ancelotti style'.

Instead, you have a manager who can master the art of the "vibe," bring a lot of very talented individuals together and create the environment - and system - for them to become a connected bunch of virtuosos. At its best, it can be magical, and is exactly what Brazil need.

The Selecao's stars need to be given the space to be their best, and motivated in the right way. Part of it is clear in the press.

Ancelotti routinely praises his players publicly. He called Jude Bellingham "the best player in the world" in December (never mind that he gave Vinicius the same moniker nine months before). He claimed that in Dani Carvajal, Lucas Vazquez and Federico Valverde, he had the top three right-backs in football. Sometimes, positive reinforcement is what's needed.

But Ancelotti can also be ruthless. He is not one for sentiment, and has shown, repeatedly, that he cares little for the feel-good stuff to break into his dressing room.

He warned Toni Kroos and Luka Modric that they should prepare to move on in early 2023 when both were facing expiring contracts (both stayed). He has hooked Rodrygo, been brutal with the inconsistent Aurelien Tchouameni, and handed big-money teenager Endrick only sparing minutes.

This is a meritocracy that runs both ways. And it works - very, very, very well.

Madrid may be three points behind Barcelona in La Liga - and been on the wrong end of two Clasicos already - but they are still the team to beat in both Spain and Europe. That they have overcome ACL injuries to Carvajal and Eder Militao, and still remained at the top, is a testament to Ancelotti's world-class coaching.

And with two months of the season to go, Los Blancos are well placed to make a run at every remaining trophy.

After beating Real Sociedad in dramatic circumstances midweek, Madrid will play Barcelona for a chance to regain the Copa del Rey.

They are also sure-fire favorites to beat Arsenal in the last eight of the Champions League next week and If Barca do indeed slip up in the title race, it's looking like Madrid will pounce. The upcoming Clasico, on May 11, should be one of the highest-stakes derbies in recent years.

Of course, success will primarily depend on the players. Kylian Mbappe has to keep scoring goals. Vinicius has to keep setting them up. Bellingham has to keep doing a little bit of everything, while the supporting cast behind them hold it down.

But it's also on Ancelotti to put the pieces into place. And there is something to be said for quitting when you're ahead.

Ancelotti has now won 15 trophies across two stints at Madrid. If he wins a fourth Champions League and third league title, he will bring his Blancos tenure to 17. Surprisingly, though, he has never won a treble. Should he complete that feat, there will be nothing more to win. And that, perhaps, is the most compelling reason to walk away.

Ancelotti has always sort of bounced around a bit. He is the only manager to have won all of Europe's big five leagues. He has coached AC Milan, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Napoli, Real Madrid and (bizarrely) Everton.

Exclude the traditional rivals of those clubs, and there is no other elite team he can really go to. A PSG return might have momentarily felt like a viable option, but Luis Enrique's fine stewardship of the club renders that job unavailable.

Furthermore, international management has always sort of felt like the final frontier for Ancelotti.

Brazil thought they had him nailed down a year ago, their federation president promising - with no real, actual, you know, evidence - that Ancelotti would lead the team for the Copa America.

Ancelotti remarked, in return, that it was the first he had heard of the chance - but was honoured to be linked with the post. And with those links cropping up again, the taking charge of the Selecao makes sense.

The obvious, final problem is one of succession. Ancelotti has been an era-defining manager at Madrid, overseeing a transition from an old squad into a fresh, youthful side. This team could be really good for at least the next five years.

Not unlike the task faced by replacing Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, or the eventual challenge of following Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, this might be the hardest vacancy to fill in football. Good thing, then, that there is a man ideally suited to the task.

Xabi Alonso could have left Bayern Leverkusen last summer after winning the Bundesliga, but elected to stick around and try to repeat. This year, they haven't been as successful, though, and seem poised to lose some of the key players - not least Florian Wirtz - from their free-flowing side.

Alonso, long linked with the Madrid job, could feel it's time to realise his destiny, having played at the Bernabeu for five years - an experience which would play just as big a role in him winning over the notoriously difficult Real dressing room as his forward-thinking tactics.

Of course, nothing has been decided as of yet, while there is very rarely a clear line of succession in football. However, Ancelotti has always appeared bound for Brazil and if Madrid win everything this season - as they really should - then it should be a fairly simple way for one of club football's great managers to move into the next phase of his career.