Don Carlo’s Brazilian Bet
TORONTO – The overhyping or romanticising of foreign-born football talent is so prevalent in Italy that some use a standard sociological term to describe it: Esterofilia. Nowhere is this more apparent than inside the airport at the new arrivals gate – where local fans often greet foreign talent like incoming royalty. An automatic aura of mystique is granted to players whose names they can’t pronounce and whose country they’ve never visited. Sadly, the affliction extends to Italian Managers.
And Paolo Sorrentino, one of Italy’s filmmaking masters, is in the process of displaying it to the world. Officially confirmed at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Sorrentino’s upcoming documentary about Carlo Ancellotti will track the legendary player/manager’s rise to prominence, culminating with what could be his crowning achievement: coaching Brazil to their 6th World Cup title this summer.
The Italian filmmaker intends to schedule shooting during the World Cup, filming Ancelotti and Brazil behind the scenes as the film’s narrative climax. It’s all very exciting. Ancelotti has won 31 major trophies as a manager, across the top 5 major European leagues. Sorrentino has won Donatellos, Oscars and is currently one of the most decorated European filmmakers.
It’s an absolute “must-watch” in the making. Except that Italy’s football program is experiencing an historic low, and Brazil is their main World Cup rival. Setting aside the illustrious resumes of Ancelotti, Sorrentino and Brazil for a moment, it’s fair to question why “Carletto” rejected the job to coach Italy when it was offered to him on April 23rd 2018.
When critics spoke out against his move to the Brazilian Football Federation, Ancelotti claimed that Italy had never offered: “Choosing Brazil over Italy? Because at the moment Italy has a coach and doesn’t need a coach. Italy never invited me”.
Yet when Italy did invite him after Ventura’s failure, Ancelotti said no. And the offer is a matter of public record. Following his 90-minute sit down with FIGC Commissioner Roberto Fabbricini and Alessandro Costacurta (in 2018), the two publicly confirmed to the press that they were pursuing Ancelotti for the role.
In fact, it only to took the legendary manager 6 days to decline the offer – choosing instead to wait for a club team to come calling. Ancelotti was without a job and at the prime age (58) to transition into National Team football. Mancini who took the job, was 53. But for Ancelotti, the Italian job lacked lustre.
Instead, he chose Napoli – Sorrentino’s native city. Perhaps it was there where Ancelotti won the filmmaker over. The ultimate display of “campanilismo” – where a fan’s identity is tied strictly to their town’s club. And while Napoli isn’t Ancelotti’s boyhood club, the move wreaked of club over country sentiment. Something many Italian football fans can identify with.
As not all football fans [or managers] are national team enthusiasts. And it would appear that Carletto is one of them. Interestingly, no country has ever lifted the World Cup with a foreign manager. Tocco ferro.
In the pics: Paolo Sorrentino and Carlo Ancelotti
Massimo Volpe is a filmmaker and freelance writer from Toronto: he writes reviews of Italian films/content on Netflix
