Ancelotti is settling in as the Brazil manager gets ready for a defensive shuffle
Carlo Ancelotti may still be struggling with Portuguese, but as he gets ready to start an unusual defensive lineup against Senegal at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium on Saturday, the Italian coach is growing more at ease in his role as Brazil’s coach.
Almost six months into his job, the former Real Madrid manager is adjusting to a drastically different schedule than his club days. As he prepares for the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, he is substituting more sporadic work for daily training sessions.
Ancelotti was awakened by his team’s 3-2 loss to Japan last month, since they had only let up one goal in their first five games before the Japanese comeback in Tokyo.
As the coach continues to look for dependable full-backs, Real Madrid center-back Eder Militao is expected to start at right-back against Senegal after the team’s defensive collapse when leading 2-0 at halftime sparked tactical soul-searching.
Having a strong defense aids quality players.
Ancelotti made reference to Brazil’s 1994 and 2002 World Cup titles when he stated, “The defense was a key part in Brazil’s last (World Cup) victories.”
“A squad that was incredibly unique, loved the game, and knew how to stay hidden… I recall a squad in 1994 that had two defensive midfielders, Bebeto and Romario up front to create the difference, and a very compact defense.
For the World Cup, I believe that. A strong defense aids in the difference-making of talented players.
The profile of Militao is distinct from that of other right-backs. Regarding the caliber and style of play, I’m going to request something new,” he continued.
“It’s an option we can use in the World Cup to give the team more solidity at the back, but we conceded three goals against Japan, we’ve assessed our mistakes and we’ll try to improve in that area to play a good game.”
It has taken patience for a coach used to interacting with his players on a daily basis to make the transition to international football.
I’m having a positive experience. There were two World Cup qualifiers (against Ecuador and Paraguay) to get ready for when I got there, and then I had some tweaks to do,” he added, adding that a 1-0 victory against Paraguay guaranteed a spot in the championships.
“I’m not accustomed to working intermittently. Work is different now than it was when I worked every day. Although it was the hardest to adjust to, I’m enjoying my job scouting players.
Settled in Rio, Ancelotti
Despite the difficulties, Ancelotti seems inspired by his new surroundings at his Rio de Janeiro residence.
It’s been a very positive experience for me; it’s a new career that involves observation. I get to work in a great setting and go to a different place. Brazil is wonderful, and the response has been astonishing.
Senegal and Norway are the only two teams Brazil has faced but never defeated, so Saturday’s game offers an interesting historical footnote.
Given that the Selecao has a record of a tie in 2019 and a loss in 2023 against the African country, Ancelotti’s seventh game as manager presents an opportunity to resolve outstanding issues.
