After announcing the list of the 26 players called up to the Brazil national team for the World Cup, head coach Carlo Ancelotti gave an interview in an area reserved for about 300 journalists at the Museum of Tomorrow, in Rio’s port district, and emphasized his optimism about Brazil’s campaign in the tournament. He said there is no such thing as a perfect squad list. He apologized to those left out and sent a message to the fans.
“I’m very sorry that others are not here, such as Bento, for example, Hugo Souza — I’m very sorry, it makes me a little sad — but they will have, like other young players who are not on the list, such as Andrey Santos and João Pedro, the chance to be part of the project for the next World Cup. Have confidence in this group. It may not be the perfect group, but it is a focused, concentrated, humble, selfless group. My idea is focused on the collective, not the individual,” he said.
See other topics from Carlo Ancelotti’s press conference:
Emotion and pressure – This expectation shows a country that has an extraordinary passion for football, first of all, and secondly for the national team. That is very beautiful for us, who have the opportunity to prepare for the World Cup and bring joy to an entire country. The pressure will come when we play our first match at the World Cup. It wasn’t easy, it was difficult, because the competition was very high. We evaluated more than 60 players, and each one has qualities that could earn him a place here.
Competitiveness and expectations – I have the knowledge and the confidence that this team can compete with the best in the world. Can we win the World Cup and reach the final? Yes, we can make it to the final. But I don’t know if that is enough — the best thing is to get there and win the final.
Neymar – We chose Neymar not because we think he will be a good substitute, but because he can bring his qualities to the team, even if he plays one minute. We chose these players because we are sure they will help. For how long? I don’t know.
Endrick – When we spoke about Endrick for the future, it was in reference to this World Cup. The final decision for this list — we met on Friday, and little by little we resolved the doubts we had, and we finalized the list today after lunch.
Weverton – Alisson is coming back from injury, but he is doing well, he should play the next match and will have time to be at 100%. This year we tested three goalkeepers — Bento, Hugo Souza and John — but we think that for this competition we need experienced players, such as Weverton.
Paquetá and Léo Pereira – The match (Athletico-PR 1-1 Flamengo, which he attended on Sunday the 18th) was not decisive. Paquetá was coming back from a serious injury, he played well, calmly. The decision on Léo Pereira had already been made; he showed a very good attitude in the last FIFA international window.
Will Brazil be in the World Cup final? – I’m not a magician, I’m a worker who has worked in this world for 40 years, I think. I have the knowledge and the confidence that this team can compete with the best in the world. Can we win the World Cup and reach the final? Yes, we can make it to the final. But I don’t know if that is enough — the best thing is to get there and win the final.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.