FIFA has asked its Brazilian counterpart for clarification regarding the latter's use of an unlicensed intermediary in the process of hiring Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti to coach the national team, according to a document published by local media.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) told AFP on Thursday evening that it would handle the situation "internally."
The Italian coach officially took over as coach of the five-time world champions on Monday, leading them through the 2026 World Cup.
According to a letter from FIFA dated May 28 and published by several Brazilian media outlets, FIFA is requesting clarification from its Brazilian counterpart regarding Diego Fernandes' role as an "unlicensed intermediary" as an agent, meaning he does not meet FIFA's requirements for football transfers.
At the time of these negotiations, Ancelotti was still coach of Real Madrid and was under contract until 2026.
FIFA considers that Diego Fernandes' participation in the negotiations "may constitute a violation" of the regulations governing intermediaries.
FIFA ordered the Brazilian Football Confederation to provide any receipts for payments made to this intermediary and copies of any correspondence exchanged with him regarding the negotiations.
In response to a query from AFP, the Brazilian Football Confederation said that "the terms of the negotiations include confidentiality clauses, which were established by the previous administration" of the federation, headed by Ednaldo Rodrigues, who was dismissed by a court order on May 15, just days after Ancelotti's appointment was announced.
The intermediary's entourage confirmed in a statement that "the contract signed by Diego Fernandes with the Brazilian Football Confederation to appoint the Brazil coach fully complies with the standards of the Brazilian Football Confederation and FIFA."
According to the statement, Fernandes worked as a "consultant" and did not have enough time to complete the necessary procedures to become an agent, according to FIFA's requirements, due to the limited time available to appoint a new coach. Dorival Junior was dismissed from his position at the end of March following the historic 4-1 defeat to arch-rival and world champion Argentina in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The statement added that Diego Fernandes would not receive "a fair amount for his work as an intermediary" until he obtained his license, which Brazilian media estimated at €1.2 million.
Ancelotti, the first foreign coach of the Brazilian national team in six decades, arrives to polish the image of the "Seleção," which has struggled in recent years and is still searching for its first world title since 2002, when it won a record fifth title.
Ancelotti has an impressive record, including five Champions League titles (a record), but this is the first time he will be coaching a national team in his illustrious career.
After 14 rounds of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, Brazil occupies the fourth place in the qualifying round for the World Cup, six points behind the seventh-place finisher (currently Venezuela), who will play in the international playoffs.
The Italian coach stated during his official presentation on Monday that his "sole goal is to win the World Cup" next year.
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