Ancelotti plans to build his Brazil team around Real Madrid superstar – report | OneFootball

Vinicius Jr. was one of the most important pieces of Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid and was, quite clearly, the face the the team during the manager’s second and most recent stint at the club.

It was under the Italian coach that the winger moved up the ranks and into the discussion of being one of the best players on the planet and even a Ballon d’Or contender.

Concurrently, Ancelotti’s departure appears to have hit Vinicius hard as the player is still struggling to find his feet and rediscover the same form that took him to the Ballon d’Or podium.

Needless to say, however, his drop in form began during Ancelotti’s last season at the club.

A mission in Brazil

As relayed by GE Globo (h/t Madrid Zone) in a recent report, Ancelotti is looking to deploy the same formula in the Brazilian national team that brought him success at the club level – to make Vinicius Jr. the face, the central figure.

The new face of Brazil under Ancelotti. (Photo by Han Myung-Gu/Getty Images)

Indeed, the coach is planning to make the Real Madrid star the reference point in Brazil’s attack and will thus give the player a more important role and bring him back to the limelight. After all, it was the same approach that won him 12 titles in four years in Madrid.

While Vinicius has indeed been far from his best under Xabi Alonso, recent games have seen him rediscover his form at least partially. He scored twice against Villarreal and has six goal contributions in the team’s last five games.

For Brazil, he started in the team’s game against South Korea and finished the game with a goal, an assist, three key passes, and one big chance created in 79 minutes.

With Rodrygo, Raphinha, Richarlison, Gabriel Martinelli, and others in the squad, Brazil are indeed stacked in the final third with high-quality resources.

Being the reference point in that setup, needless to say, will do Vinicius’ confidence a world of good.