Ancelotti shrugs off pressure, names best Brazilians he’s coached | OneFootball

Carlo Ancelotti, now at the helm of the Brazilian National Team, welcomed the newspaper Marca to his office at the CBF headquarters for an exclusive interview.

A successful coach with an enviable resume, he spoke about his first months in Brazil, adapting to the environment, and the challenges that stand between him and the much-dreamed-of sixth World Cup title – and he was quick to dismiss any "pressure" for the World Cup title.

For the legendary Italian coach, competing in the World Cup with the National Team is just another "motivation" in his long and successful career.

"The difficulty has to be a motivation to do better. My feeling is that there is an environment ready to win. There is a lot of pressure, it's true, but there is also incredible affection for the national team," he stated.

On the eve of announcing the squad list for the final tests against Croatia and France, Ancelotti commented on the difficulty of selecting the Brazilian team.

"It's not easy to make the list because there are many options, especially in attack, because we have many options. A little less in midfield or on the flanks (full-backs), but there is the possibility to choose the players who will play in the upcoming friendlies and the World Cup," he stated.

In a humorous tone, the coach even joked with Federico Valverde when asked if he was surprised by the Uruguayan's stellar performance in Real Madrid's 3-0 win over Manchester City in the Champions League.

"[Yes, I spoke to him] I said: 'It's a shame you don't have a Brazilian passport,'" he joked.

In the interview, Carleto also selected the best XI he has coached, counting only Brazilian players.

Check it out below:

After a historic and award-winning stint at Real Madrid, Ancelotti revealed that the Brazilian National Team was the only path he saw for the continuation of his career.

"I didn't have the idea of going to another club after Madrid. The opportunity with the Brazilian national team came up two years ago, and then I renewed with Madrid, but last year we thought it was time to leave, and now I'm happy," the coach explained.

The environment at CBF, according to him, is marked by colors and a lot of joy, contrasting with the formality of his old office in Valdebebas.

Despite the initial resistance from part of the "old school" of Brazilian football towards foreign coaches, Ancelotti says he feels welcomed.

"People welcome me very well here, I am very respected, and they love me a lot. The environment in Brazil is a football environment, very passionate, people are very connected to football," he celebrated.

With the World Cup approaching, the pressure for results and for the sixth star is a constant reality in Brazil.

However, the coach views the scenario positively.

"They have been asking for this for a long time. It is not just a goal; it is also a motivation."

Ancelotti highlighted the cultural difference in the weight the National Team holds for Brazilians compared to Europe.

"My feeling is that there is an environment ready to win. There is a lot of pressure, it's true, but there is also incredible affection for the national team. Here, when the national team plays, everything stops, it's not the same environment as in Europe," he observed.

He believes that in Europe, national teams have lost strength due to the intense club competition calendar, like the Champions League.

However, this national passion takes its toll on the players.

"In Brazil, the most important team is the national team, and for the players, it's very special to wear the jersey. That's good, but there's also a lot of pressure on the football player. A mistake in a friendly here punishes you, and I want to treat them so they don't put so much pressure on themselves," Ancelotti added.

Accustomed to the daily training routine in clubs, Ancelotti detailed that working with a national team requires a different pace, with less continuous stress but with a strong component of observation.

The coach emphasized the difficulty of assembling the ideal squad due to the vast amount of talent available: "Brazil has at least 70 [players] who can be on the national team, and evaluating all of them is not so simple." He revealed maintaining constant contact with coaches from Brazilian clubs, citing Palmeiras, Flamengo, and Bahia, to assist in monitoring the athletes playing in national football.

The process of defining the World Cup squad list is underway, and the attack is the sector that generates the most positive "headaches" for the coach.

"It's not easy to make the list because there are many options, especially in attack," he admitted.

Direct contact with Brazilian players in the day-to-day of the National Team has strengthened his admiration for the profile of the country's athletes.

Commenting on Vinicius Jr., a player he worked with intensively at Real Madrid, Ancelotti praised the Brazilian character.

"He is Brazilian, he has the character of a Brazilian. The Brazilian is a person with joy, very humble. I haven't met an arrogant person neither at CBF nor among any of the Brazilian people I know. Vinicius is humble, joyful, and has extraordinary talent."

And to dispel any doubts about the forward's decision-making power, he was categorical: "Vinicius has never failed in important matches... I'm sure he will have a great World Cup if he's on the team."

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

📸 IAN KINGTON - AFP or licensors