Tag: Carlo Ancelotti

Coach Carlo Ancelotti said Brazil ‘mentally collapsed’ in their 3-2 friendly defeat to Japan on Tuesday and warned that they need to learn from their mistakes before the World Cup.

Brazil threw away a two-goal lead as Japan came roaring back in the second half in Tokyo, with Ancelotti’s men helpless in the face of the home side’s pressure.

A mistake in the Brazil defence for Japan’s first goal opened the floodgates, and Ancelotti said his players were not strong enough to turn it around.

“Brazil didn’t have the attitude in the second half to stop Japan’s reaction,” said the Italian.

“I am very clear about what happened, that the team mentally collapsed after the first mistake. “This was the team’s biggest mistake.”

It was Ancelotti’s second defeat since taking over in May, following a 1-0 away loss to Bolivia in World Cup qualifying.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Brazil arrived in Tokyo fresh from a 5-0 thrashing of South Korea, and they turned on the style again in a sparkling first-half performance.

Paulo Henrique and Gabriel Martinelli both scored to put the five-time world champions comfortably ahead at the break.

Japan came roaring back after half-time with goals from Takumi Minamino, Keito Nakamura, and Ayase Ueda to give their country their first win over Brazil.

“We lost a bit of a good attitude and positive thinking,” said Ancelotti.

“The mistakes had an influence on the team.”

Ancelotti is bidding to become the first foreign-born coach to win the World Cup at next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

He vowed to keep experimenting with his line-up and said individual mistakes would not cost players their places in the squad.

Ancelotti said it was “better to make these mistakes now than at the World Cup”. “We need to learn from the mistakes we made in the second half,” he said.

READ: Sultan of Johor Cup: India come from behind to hold Pakistan for a draw

No country has ever won the World Cup with a foreign-born coach, but Carlo Ancelotti said Monday that there was “always a first time” as he eyes glory with Brazil in 2026.

The Italian became Brazil’s first overseas coach in six decades when he took over in May, and he helped the five-times champions punch their ticket for next summer’s World Cup.

Brazil face Japan in a friendly in Tokyo on Tuesday, fresh from a 5-0 hammering of South Korea in Seoul last week.

Ancelotti said he is aiming to create history for himself and his team at next year’s World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

“My goal is to give my best for the Brazil national team, to try to get them to perform at their best and to win the World Cup,” he said.

“Of course, no foreign-born coach has ever won the World Cup, but there is always a first time in life.”

Brazil made hard work of qualifying, finishing fifth in the South American table.

Ancelotti is their fourth coach since Tite stepped down following the quarter-final loss to Croatia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Brazil sparkled against South Korea, with 18-year-old starlet Estevao scoring twice and Real Madrid pair Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr. also among the goals.

Brazilian fans hailed the win as a return to “jogo bonito,” but Ancelotti said there was more to his team than that.

“Brazilian players have the quality to play beautiful football, but you have to think about what you mean by beautiful football,” he said.

“Brazilian players have individual quality, but that is combined with teamwork and movement off the ball, and that’s very important in football.”

Brazil travelled to Asia without forward Neymar, who was ruled out of action until at least November with a thigh injury.

Time is running out for Brazil’s record goalscorer to force his way back into the squad before the World Cup.

Ancelotti said there were no questions over Neymar’s quality.

“If Neymar is in good condition, then of course he can fit into the national team,” he said. “If Neymar is fit, then he can play in any team in the world.”

READ: Aiden Markram achieves major milestone in first Pakistan Test

Brazil great Ronaldo has called on the Selecao’s Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti to restore Neymar to the squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in North America.

Brazil’s record goalscorer with 79 goals from 128 matches, Neymar, has not pulled on the yellow jersey since October 2023, when he suffered a serious knee injury.

The 33-year-old has played regularly for the Sao Paulo side Santos since he returned to his first club in January following a fruitless spell in Saudi Arabia with Al Hilal.

Even so, in his four matches in charge, Ancelotti has not called up Neymar.

“He is a decisive player for the Brazilian Selecao. We don’t have another player like Neymar,” Ronaldo, who twice won the World Cup with Brazil, said during a publicity event in Sao Paulo alongside his compatriot.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“The people hope 100 percent that he will go to the World Cup because if he is there, we will definitely have better results than if he’s not there,” added Ronaldo, 49, who scored 62 goals in 99 Brazil games.

Neymar has been injury-plagued in the last few years and missed Brazil’s Copa America triumph on home soil in 2019.

He joined Al Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain in August 2023 but after playing just five times and scoring one goal, he ruptured his cruciate knee ligament on international duty against Uruguay.

He was out of action for a year and would play only two more games for the Saudi side before leaving for Santos.

After leaving Neymar out of his squad for World Cup qualifiers in September, Ancelotti said that he “needs to get in better shape to help the national team and to give the best of himself at the World Cup.”

READ: New vice-captain named as India name squad for West Indies Tests

Carlo Ancelotti, the newly appointed manager of Brazil, on Monday ruled injury-plagued Neymar out of the line-up for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers and vowed to lead the team to a sixth title.

Former Real Madrid manager Ancelotti is the first non-Brazilian in six decades to coach the record five-time World Cup winners.

“I’m very proud to lead the best team in the world. I have a big job ahead of me and have great hope that Brazil will become champions again,” he said during his official presentation at a hotel in Rio de Janeiro.

“The only goal is to win the 2026 World Cup,” he said after receiving a green-and-yellow coach’s jacket from Luiz Felipe Scolari, the manager who took Brazil to its last World Cup win in 2002.

At 65, the Italian star manager, who has five Champions League titles under his belt, is taking the reins of a national team for the first time.

Expectations are high in football-mad Brazil that he can revive the squad’s fortunes.

To that end, he announced the return of Manchester United midfielder and former Brazil captain Casemiro for June’s qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay, alongside Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr and Barcelona winger Raphinha.

Carlo Ancelotti is Brazil’s fourth coach in two years, and he faces a formidable task.

“Brazil was sort of decaying and needed that little light at the end of the tunnel. I think he is that light,” said Jose Geraldo Da Silva, a 65-year-old retiree, who was waiting outside the Rio hotel to try to catch a glimpse of the new trainer.

Brazil has struggled for form in 2026 World Cup qualifying and sacked Dorival Junior in March after a humiliating 4-1 thrashing by regional arch-rivals Argentina.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Ancelotti will cut his teeth on June 5 against Ecuador in Guayaquil and then on the 10th will host Paraguay in Sao Paulo.

While ruling out Neymar for the fixtures, Ancelotti said that “obviously we’re counting on him” for the future.

In his last game for Brazil in October 2023, which ended in a 2-0 defeat to Uruguay, Neymar suffered a serious knee injury and has not worn his country’s colours since then.

Casemiro, 33, who has also not been called up since October 2023, did receive the nod to return, by contrast.

Speaking in Spanish peppered with a few words of Portuguese, which he promised to quickly learn, Ancelotti said Casemiro would bring “charisma, personality and talent.”

New wunderkind Estevao, 18, who is set to join Chelsea from Sao Paulo’s Palmeiras, was also called up.

But injured Real Madrid forwards Rodrygo and Endrick did not make the list.

Brazil is currently languishing in fourth place in the South American qualifying table for next year’s tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The national football federation (CBF) spent two years wooing Carlo Ancelotti to try to turn the page on years of disappointment for the national side and its fans.

The Selecao have only made it as far as the World Cup semi-final once out of the last five tournaments — in 2014 against Germany, who gave the World Cup hosts a historic 7-1 thrashing on home soil.

READ: Nepali ‘Everest Man’ breaks own record with 31st summit

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, who has been heavily linked with the Brazil post, said Saturday he will reveal his future plans on May 25 after their final La Liga game.

The immediate goal for the 65-year-old Italian, who has one year left on his Madrid contract, is with five matches remaining to overhaul bitter rivals Barcelona’s four point lead and retain the La Liga title.

Achieving that would make up somewhat for losing to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final, and the defence of their Champions League crown ended by Arsenal in the quarter-finals.

“I have a lot of affection for my club, my players and our fans, and also a lot of respect,” Ancelotti told reporters ahead of Madrid’s La Liga clash against Celta Vigo on Sunday.

“So I will speak about my future on the 25th (of May) and not before.”

Real Madrid host Real Sociedad on May 25 in their final La Liga match of the season — they then leave for the United States and the Club World Cup which starts on June 14.

Ancelotti said the day he leaves Madrid will be a “beautiful” one and he has never had a single problem with the club across two spells at the helm.

“It will be a fantastic goodbye, because I have a lot of affection for the club and it does for me too, I will never fight or argue with the club,” said the veteran coach.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“Never have I done so in six years and I never will, I won’t let myself, until the last day, which could be the 25th, which could be in 2025, or it could be the 25th of May 2026, or 2030.

“That I don’t know, but whichever day it is, it will be a very beautiful day.”

Carlo Ancelotti, who coached Madrid between 2013-15 and then again since 2021, has won three Champions League trophies and two La Liga titles with the club.

Ancelotti, though, faces a defensive crisis in the run-in to the season.

Antonio Rudiger, Ferland Mendy and David Alaba were all ruled out for the rest of the season this week, adding to long-term problems for Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao.

“We’re thinking about the upcoming games, we’re thinking about what we can fight for — La Liga until the last second,” said Ancelotti.

“We’ve had a lot of injuries in this week but we’re convinced we can put out a good team and win tomorrow’s game.”

READ: Asia Cup 2025 under threat amid rising India-Pakistan tensions: reports

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has agreed to take over the Brazil national team, several Spanish media outlets reported Monday.

The veteran Italian has one more year on his contract with the Spanish giants; however, after quarter-final Champions League elimination by Arsenal and Copa del Rey defeat by rivals Barcelona, he is poised to depart the Santiago Bernabeu.

Ancelotti has not hidden that a potential exit was on the cards and said his future was “a topic for the next weeks” after defeat by Barcelona on Saturday.

Spanish media reports that Ancelotti would take over ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in June, leaving Madrid before the Club World Cup starts in the United States this summer.

Brazil sacked Dorival Junior after a 4-1 thrashing by Argentina in March and are fourth in the South American qualifying table for the tournament in the US, Mexico and Canada.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Carlo Ancelotti led Real Madrid to a Champions League and La Liga double last season, with Brazil stars Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes vital parts of the team, and is one of the most successful coaches in the club’s history.

In his first spell at Real Madrid, he led them to La Decima — their 10th Champions League triumph.

He has won the competition three times with Los Blancos over two stints, was sacked in 2015, but returned in 2021 after Zinedine Zidane resigned.

This season, Madrid have been defensively fragile and trail La Liga leaders Barcelona by four points, with a title defence their only remaining hope of major silverware.

Ancelotti has also coached AC Milan, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) among other teams.

READ: Kane Williamson reveals his favourite Pakistani food

Carlo Ancelotti said Real Madrid “are improving but are yet to show their best” as his side bid to earn automatic qualification to the Champions League last 16 against Ligue 1 club Brest on Wednesday.

The reigning champions of Europe are ensured of their place in at least the knockout play-off round as the league phase of the revamped Champions League wraps up with its final matchday this week.

However, after suffering three defeats in their opening seven matches, 16th-placed Real are only in with an outside chance of securing a top-eight finish and automatic progression to the last 16.

A faltering start to the defence of their Spanish and Champions League titles now seems to be behind Ancelotti’s charges after they have won nine of their last 10 outings in all competitions.

“I think the team are improving but are yet to show their best, even though we’re getting close,” Carlo Ancelotti said during his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

“The idea and the vision that we have for this team, I think it’s clear to everyone and the team have improved collectively, but also individually.

“That’s the case for Kylian Mbappe, but also for Rodrygo (Goes) or (Jude) Bellingham and all the other players. They’ve all worked very hard.

“Kylian is playing very well. I think he just needed a little time to improve athletically and adapt to his new environment… Now we’re taking full advantage of having Mbappe with us and the qualities he can bring to the team.”

Criticised for his performances at the start of the season following his long-awaited transfer from Paris Saint-Germain, France captain Mbappe has got among the goals as Madrid surged to the top of La Liga over the winter.

The 26-year-old has 21 goals in 31 matches for Real, eight of which have come in January.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Los Blancos sit only one point outside of the top eight but seven teams are currently between them and eighth-placed Bayer Leverkusen.

One of these sides are Wednesday’s opposition Brest, who have impressed on their European debut, with four wins from seven so far.

“Brest have done an excellent job in this Champions League,” said Carlo Ancelotti.

“They have a point more than us… It’s no coincidence that they took 13 points in the first phase.

“They are a very good team who know how to take advantage of the qualities of their players,” added the veteran Italian.

Brest are also assured of progression to the knock-outs, something their coach described as “difficult to imagine” when the Breton outfit got their campaign underway with a 2-1 win over Sturm Graz in neighbouring Guingamp as their own stadium is not up to UEFA requirements.

“If someone had told us… that Real Madrid would be behind us (now), we would have believed that even less,” added Brest coach Eric Roy during his press conference on Tuesday.

“We got off to a good start in the competition, while Real were perhaps in a period where they were a little less good.

“We saw them lose in Lille (1-0), we saw them lose at home to AC Milan (3-1).

“We managed to over-perform, they may have under-performed, and that’s certainly why today we have a point more than them.”

READ: Rohit Sharma files complaint with BCCI over Sunil Gavaskar comments: report

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said he was confident his side could overcome Bayern Munich on Wednesday to reach the Champions League final.

Record 14-time winners Real Madrid snatched a 2-2 draw in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final clash in Munich with Vinicius Junior scoring a brace.

“I am confident because this is Real Madrid, we have this squad, I’m confident in the fans who will help us,” Ancelotti told a news conference Tuesday.

“We think we’ve got it better, but (Bayern coach Thomas) Tuchel will think he does too.”

Ancelotti admitted German giants Bayern, six-time winners, were the superior side in the first leg draw at the Allianz Arena.

“These are similar clubs, they have great history and a lot of success in the Champions League,” continued the Italian coach.

“We respect them… they did better than us in the first leg.”

The coach confirmed Andriy Lunin would start in goal despite Thibaut Courtois returning from injury and keeping a clean sheet as Madrid clinched their La Liga crown this weekend.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The Belgian stopper had been out since last summer with a bad knee injury.

“The plan for a player coming back from injury does not change because of one game,” said Carlo Ancelotti.

“Courtois is doing well but he needs time to get back to his best self — he had an ideal game.”

Madrid defender Dani Carvajal said the team was right to avoid celebrating their title success on Saturday.

“Not celebrating was the best thing to do, there’s a vital game and there will be time to celebrate at the weekend, that’s why we took that decision,” said the Spain international.

“We’re having a great year, we’re very excited for the Champions League, we’re two games away from lifting it again.

“The dressing room knows it — in the streets they’re giving us encouragement so we can dream of our 15th.”

Various long-standing Madrid players could leave at the end of the season after years spent at the club, with Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Lucas Vazquez and Nacho Fernandez all out of contract in the summer.

“It’s hard to know what will happen… I hope not, but some will be living their final Champions League match at the Bernabeu,” added Carvajal.

“I hope it’s a Madrid victory.”

READ: Ireland name squads for Pakistan series, T20 World Cup 2024

Madrid: Carlo Ancelotti returned to Real Madrid for a second spell as coach on Tuesday, re-joining the club from Everton, after agreeing a three-year deal at the Bernabeu.

The Italian was previously in charge of Real between 2013 and 2015, and replaces Zinedine Zidane, who left the La Liga club last month.

“While I have enjoyed being at Everton I have been presented with an unexpected opportunity which I believe is the right move for me and my family at this time,” Ancelotti said in a statement on the Everton website.

Ancelotti has one of the most-decorated CVs in world football and won the Champions League with Real in 2014, helping the Spaniards to their fabled ‘Decima’ (10th) European crown, before being sacked 12 months later.

Read: Zinedine Zidane resigns as Real Madrid coach

The 61-year-old is one of three coaches, along with former Liverpool manager Bob Paisley and Zidane, to have won the European Cup or Champions League on three occasions, having also led AC Milan to glory in 2003 and 2007.

His honours list includes league titles in four different countries at Milan, Chelsea, Paris St Germain and Bayern Munich over a 26-year managerial career.

“Carlo Ancelotti will be the new first team coach for the next three seasons,” a brief Real Madrid statement read.

Ancelotti will sign his contract and be presented to the media on Wednesday.

The move comes following Zidane’s decision to step down five days after his team were pipped to the La Liga title by city rivals Atletico Madrid.

Real finished two points behind Atletico, were knocked out of the Champions League in the semi-finals by eventual winners Chelsea and suffered a humiliating Copa del Rey exit to third division minnows Alcoyano during a rare trophy-less season.

Zidane subsequently hit out at the club in an open letter, saying: “I’m leaving because I feel the club no longer has the faith in me I need, nor the support to build something in the medium or long term.”

It brought an end to a second spell in charge of the club that was fraught with tension.

The end of the Frenchman’s tenure was surrounded by questions over his reliance on players the wrong side of 30 like Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Karim Benzema and his willingness to oversee the rebuild the club felt it needed.

Ancelotti was considered something of a coup when Everton announced his appointment on a four-and-a-half year contract in December 2019, and he guided the club to a 12th-place Premier League finish in his first season.

The Italian then oversaw an impressive summer transfer window, signing Colombian star James Rodriguez from Real Madrid as well as the likes of Allan, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Ben Godfrey, and Everton started the campaign in superb form, winning their first seven games in all competitions.

The Toffees remained in European contention throughout the season but a dip in form towards the end of the campaign, when they picked up three wins from their final 12 league games, saw them slide to a disappointing mid-table finish.

“The club will begin the process of appointing a new manager immediately and will provide updates in due course,” read an Everton statement.

Read more: Barcelona confirm Aguero signing from Man City