Carlo Ancelotti has accepted Brazilian soccer’s final dare – to rescue the Selecao from chaos and ship World Cup glory in simply over a yr.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) confirmed Monday that the adorned Italian tactician will formally take over on May 26, the day after La Liga ends, slicing quick his tenure at Real Madrid by a yr.
The deal’s financials stay undisclosed, however the mission is obvious: revive Brazil’s flailing squad and reclaim their world dominance by 2026.
“Bringing Carlo Ancelotti to lead Brazil is more than a strategic move. It is a statement to the world,” mentioned CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues. “He is the greatest coach in history, and now he is leading the greatest national team on the planet.”
Rodrigues’ phrases brim with hope, however latest outcomes level to a rocky highway forward.
Brazil at the moment sit fourth in South American World Cup qualifying, bruised from a 4-1 loss to Argentina and a carousel of fired coaches – Dorival Junior, Fernando Diniz, Ramon Menezes.
Ancelotti’s resume is ironclad – three UEFA Champions League titles, two Club World Cups, and home dominance in Spain, Italy, and past.
But what awaits in Brazil isn’t a ready-made squad – it’s a jigsaw puzzle of fading stars, untested youth, and tactical confusion.
Midfield void
The Italian has already opened strains of communication with the getting older duo of Neymar and Casemiro.
Neymar, nonetheless recovering from an ACL damage, is coaching at Santos. Casemiro, now 33, stays a trusted normal however has struggled at Manchester United.
The query is not simply whether or not they nonetheless have gasoline within the tank – it’s whether or not anybody else can fill their boots.
With no clear inheritor in sight, Ancelotti should devise two tactical plans: one with them and one with out.
And then there’s Brazil’s midfield, as soon as the heartbeat of its aptitude, now sputtering.
Lucas Paqueta, the presumed successor, faces match-fixing allegations in England.
Rodrygo, Gerson, and Andreas Pereira – all have been examined within the inventive position, none have clicked. The drought is throttling the assault: Vinicius Júnior, Raphinha, Matheus Cunha, and Endrick are starved for service.
Defense that forgot learn how to defend
Under Tite, Brazil conceded simply 30 targets in 81 matches. Since Qatar 2022, 31 targets in 25 video games. A stunning collapse.
Ancelotti inherits a backline that evokes little confidence. Marquinhos and Gabriel Magalhaes have underwhelmed, whereas Éder Militao, an Ancelotti favourite, remains to be working again from damage.
As for the full-backs, Brazil, as soon as the manufacturing facility of flying flankers, now scrambles for dependable choices.
A 2002-style 3-5-2 system – with three central defenders and attacking wingbacks – is on the desk, however discovering three elite defenders in kind is one other puzzle.
The goalkeeper drama deepens the plot. Alisson and Ederson have taken turns dropping their beginning spots as a result of accidents, opening the door for Bento to begin towards Argentina. The gloves are up for grabs.
Tick tock
By the time he leads Brazil of their subsequent qualifiers – towards Ecuador and Paraguay – Ancelotti could have a couple of treasured matches left earlier than the World Cup.
Every sport is gold mud.
There’s additionally turbulence off the pitch. CBF President Rodrigues is embroiled in authorized challenges, and followers’ endurance has worn skinny. The specter of a historic failure – Brazil lacking the World Cup for the primary time ever – lurks within the background, nonetheless slim that probability could also be.
Veteran broadcaster Galvao Bueno believes Ancelotti received’t do it alone. “He has friends in Brazil: Cafu, Kaká, and Falcao – people who understand our football. He’ll need them.”
Indeed, Brazil has solely as soon as received the World Cup as favorites – in 1962. When they lifted their final trophy in 2002, they had been doubted and dismissed, knocked out of the Copa America by Honduras, and riddled with accidents.
Source: www.dailysabah.com