Magalhães: Ancelotti is a father figure, altitude no concern | OneFootball

The defender Gabriel Magalhães gave a press conference this Sunday afternoon at Granja Comary and spoke about the coach of the Brazilian National Team, Carlo Ancelotti. He said that the Italian is trying to connect with the players and sees him as a “father figure”.

“He tries to connect, talk with us, have a laugh. We know his history, we have a lot of respect. He knows everyone, wants to see more closely. He’s a father figure to us, you can see that. The group is very happy,” said the Arsenal defender.

Competition in Defense

Magalhães was also questioned about the competition in Brazil's defensive sector. In the last FIFA window, the newcomer Alexsandro from Lille was one of the highlights but lost his spot to Gabriel against Chile last Thursday.

“The pillar of a team has to be the defense. Regardless of who plays, everyone has a lot of quality. We work daily to understand each other and have a very solid defense,” stated the player.

“Alex is a very good kid, he’s growing a lot. He’s in a great club, I’m very happy to be here with him,” he added.

Bolivia's Altitude

In the next and final round of the South American Qualifiers for the World Cup, the National Team will face one of the most feared opponents: the altitude of Bolivia. Ancelotti's team will play in El Alto, which is more than 4,150m above sea level.

Gabriel Magalhães, however, ignored the conditions and says that Brazil needs to play a good match. “We don’t have to think about the altitude, we are wearing the Brazilian National Team jersey. We have to play a great game and come out victorious. We know the responsibility, what we can do on the field, and we are prepared for it.”

Next Match of the National Team

The Brazilian National Team is preparing for the last round of the South American Qualifiers. Ancelotti's team faces Bolivia next Tuesday at 8:30 PM (Brasília time), in El Alto.

Already qualified for the next World Cup, the Amarelinha comes from a 3-0 victory over Chile and is in second place on the standings, with 28 points.

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