Ancelotti plays down Flamengo v Athletico-PR clash for 2 call-ups | OneFootball

Carlo Ancelotti assured that Paquetá and Léo Pereira’s call-ups had already been decided before Sunday (17)

Brazil national team coach Carlo Ancelotti was at Arena da Baixada to watch Flamengo face Athletico-PR in the Brasileirão. While for some fans and journalists it was the last chance for certain players to secure a spot at the World Cup, two of them were never really at risk: Lucas Paquetá and Léo Pereira.

Asked about his trip to Curitiba last Sunday (17), when he watched Athletico-PR draw 1-1 with Flamengo, Ancelotti said both players had already secured their spots. In addition, the Italian praised Lucas Paquetá, who was returning from a physical issue.

— This game (Athletico-PR 1-1 Flamengo) was not decisive. Paquetá was coming back from a significant injury, and he played well, calmly. The decision on Léo Pereira had already been made; he showed a very good attitude during the last FIFA international window — said Ancelotti.

WHO ELSE WAS ON THE FIELD AND GOT CALLED UP?

Besides Paquetá and Léo Pereira, Danilo and Alex Sandro were also on the field. The center back was even sent off, and the full-back struggled to contain Athletico-PR’s quick attack. Even so, the experienced players made the final list.

On the other hand, three players who were in the preliminary squad did not make Carlo Ancelotti’s final list: Pedro, Samuel Lino and Léo Ortiz. The first even scored Mengão’s goal, but because of the strong competition, he was unable to claim one of the 26 spots in the squad.

SO, WILL THE CALLED-UP PLAYERS BE ABSENT FOR FLAMENGO?

Brazil’s national team takes the field on May 31 against Panama at the Maracanã in a friendly. Because of reporting to the CBF, Flamengo will be required to release the four called-up players before the match against Coritiba on May 30, also in Rio de Janeiro. If the Rubro-Negro side cannot reach an agreement with the federation, the called-up players will be unavailable.

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