"It wasn't a fantasy" - Ronaldo sheds more light on Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti's links to Brazil national team

Ronaldo Nazario has opened up about Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti's links to the Brazilian national team. He revealed that it was an actual possibility and he was part of the negotiations.

Ancelotti was heavily linked with a move to the Brazilian national team in the 2023-24 season. They sacked Tite after the 2022 FIFA World Cup before Ramon Menezes served six months as a caretaker manager. They then appointed Diniz, but he was sacked in January 2024. Dorival Junior is A Selecao's current manager.

During this managerial chaos, Brazil were heavily linked with a move for Carlo Ancelotti. However, the Italian stayed put at Real Madrid and even signed a contract extension until 2026. Shedding some light on these links, Ronaldo Nazario recently said (via Mundo Deportivo):

"After negotiating everything got stun, because I didn't have the release of Real Madrid. It wasn't a fantasy, because I even helped in the process by talking to Ancelotti."

While Brazil were close to agreeing on a move with Ancelotti, the Spanish club were unwilling to let him go. They hadn't found an able replacement in time. Moreover, Ancelotti won LaLiga, UEFA Champions League, and Supercopa de España last season, solidifying his place at the Bernabeu even further.

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Brazil manager opens up on conversation with Carlo Ancelotti regarding Real Madrid star

Brazil manager Dorival Junior recently shared that he has spoken a lot with Carlo Ancelotti about Endrick. He said that they speak about how the youngster is developing at Real Madrid. He said (via ESPN)

"Endrick has been monitored, and very closely. On this last trip [to Europe], I had a conversation with Ancelotti for about two and a half hours. We talked about many subjects, but mainly about the moment Endrick is going through.

"He has evolved a lot compared to what we knew a year ago. The work at Palmeiras was very well done and accomplished, and Endrick is now much more mature. That's natural. I believe that, in a year in Europe, this happened. If he had stayed here, he would have evolved a little differently."

Endrick joined Real Madrid from Palmeiras last summer and has played 496 minutes for them. Overall, he has made 28 appearances across competitions this season, scoring six goals.

For Brazil, meanwhile, he has made 13 appearances, scoring three goals. However, he didn't feature in their 2-1 win over Colombia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers on March 20.