Magalhães: Ancelotti a father figure for Brazil, altitude no worry | 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 bond with the players and sees him as a “father figure”.

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

Competition in Defense

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

“The backbone of a team has to be the defense. Regardless of who plays, everyone has a lot of quality. We work every day to understand each other and have a solid defense,” said the player.

“Alex is a very good kid, he’s growing a lot. He’s at a great club, and 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 its 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, brushed off the conditions and said Brazil needs to play a good match. “We can’t think about the altitude, we’re wearing the Brazilian National Team jersey. We have to play a great game and come out victorious. We know our responsibility, what we can do on the field, and we’re prepared for it.”

Next Match for the National Team

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

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

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