Why is Carlo Ancelotti Supporting Canada at the World Cup?

Date: 4th May 2022 at 11:11am
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Since Italy will be missing the World Cup following its loss to North Macedonia in the UEFA playoff, Carlo Ancelotti will have to support another team. The Real Madrid manager has made it clear that he will be supporting Canada in this year’s most awaited football tournament, FIFA World Cup 2022.

However, Ancelotti’s choice comes as a surprise to many, especially considering that the North American country is appearing in the World Cup for the first time in the past 36 years. One would wonder what Carlo Ancelotti has seen in the team to hold it in such high esteem.

“I will be cheering for Canada in the 2022 World Cup since they have been missing in the action for many years. Canada is my second home. The Canadian Federation President is also from Abruzzo, and so everyone will be rooting for Canada,” noted Ancelotti when responding to Italian radio Rai Radio.

It appears that Ancelotti has deep ties to the CONCACAF, which has already overtaken his sporting ties to Germany, Spain, and England. To some degree, Ancelotti’s ties to the CONCACAF have also preceded his Italian nationality.

Canada’s Odds in 2022 FIFA World Cup

Canada qualified for FIFA World Cup 2022 following its triumph in the CONCACAF qualifiers. Even though its chances of winning the coveted World Cup are slim, the team is entering the Qatar World Cup with massive underdog potential.

Now that the Canadian team knows who they will be facing in the group stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, we have the team’s odds of not only advancing from Group F but also of winning the tournament.

According to odds released by Bet365, Canada tied for the 20th best odds at +20,000. This essentially means that a $1 bet on Canada has the potential of returning $201. What’s more interesting is that the Canadian soccer men are still ahead of other notable teams, despite missing the FIFA World Cup Action for 36 years.

There are 14 countries with better odds of winning the Qatar FIFA World Cup than Canada. The Canadian team will be facing Morocco, Belgium, and Croatia in Group F. Of the four teams, Canada faces the longest odds to win the group.

If you are looking to place sports bets in Canada, consider the Canadian online bookmakers on this page.

Why Exactly is Ancelotti Rooting for Canada?

According to the 62-year-old Carlo, the answer seems pretty straightforward – Canada is my second home. But is that really the case or are we missing something?

Ancelotti’s affiliation to Canada comes from the fact that he is married to a Canadian-born businesswoman, Mariann Auger McClay. The two exchanged vows in Vancouver in 2014, which was a World Cup year by the way.

During the same year, he left Real Madrid, claiming to take a year off coaching to rest and recover from an undisclosed medical procedure. Shortly after leaving the Spanish club, Ancelotti relocated to Vancouver to spend his time off with his newly wedded.

Little did Ancelotti know that two seasons later, he would have to show solidarity with his marriage by supporting his wife’s motherland in the 2022 World Cup.

Later in the Summer of 2015, the Italian inked papers agreeing to take charge of Bayern Munich.

Ancelotti’s Links to MLS Jobs

Due to his ties to Canada with his second home in Vancouver, Carlo has been linked to MLS jobs on several occasions in the past. However, this happens off the public radar as he has been in ongoing employment relationships with major European soccer powers.

He was recently linked to Inter Miami when David Beckham was looking for the club’s first manager. However, the agreement never saw the light of day because it did not materialize. Ancelotti has made it clear that he would be willing to consider taking up jobs in North America.

“I already have a three-year employment contract with Napoli, but I feel MLS is improving and will be such a great experience in the future,” Ancelotti noted.

That, coupled with Ancelotti’s ties to Western Canada, fans and industry experts are speculative that he is out to seek the Vancouver Whitecaps job in the future. This is more of a possibility, considering that his European journey is almost coming to an end.

What the Future Holds for Ancelotti

Up to this point, Carlo Ancelotti has had a successful career as a football executive. However, he is yet to dip his toes into international football management. That notwithstanding, the Italian holds extensive experience in club management, having served AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid.

Having previously led Read Madrid to victory in the “La Decima” Champions League, he is now back in the Spanish Capital. He is dedicated to looking for more European and La Liga titles. Ancelotti’s current contract is with Blancos, which runs to 2024. Ancelotti has made it clear that Real Madrid is his current priority, and not a potential return to Milan.

“I’ll talk about my next move the day I quit Real Madrid. If that happens after 20 years, then retirement will be most preferred instead of going to Milan,” said Ancelotti.

Milan raised Carlo, which is why it’s one of the few teams that he keeps in his heart. The club molded him as both a player and a coach.

Other Italian Football Executives Supporting Canada

As Ancelotti pointed out, the Italian-born Canadian Football executive Victor Montagliani will also be placing his bet on Canada during this year’s FIFA World Cup. The CONCACAF president has Italian descent but grew up in Canada.

Montagliani served as the president of the Canadian Soccer Association from 2012 to 2017 before being elected the CONCACAF president.

“Qualification for the World Cup tournament makes our country, not the men’s national team and not Canada Soccer, but our country relevant to other 211 countries where football is life. From now moving forward, we will be looked upon in a different light because we are counted as a footballing nation and because football matters in Canada. This is the biggest sporting story in Canadian history,” noted Montagliani when speaking to The Athletic on April 5, 2022.

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