‘Criticism? zero effect’: Ancelotti stands firm on Brazil’s new generation

• Speaking at a Football Forum in Brisbane ahead of Tuesday’s second meeting with Australia at Lang Park, Ancelotti insisted the criticism would not alter his approach.
• Brazil will travel to Kolkata after their second match against Australia to face India in October as Ancelotti continues his assessment of the squad.

Carlo Ancelotti has welcomed scrutiny of his performance as Brazil coach but insists criticism will have “zero” effect on his plans to build a new generation of players ahead of the next Copa America and FIFA World Cup.

Brazil were held to a 1-1 draw by Australia in Townsville last Friday, with Rayan rescuing the Selecao with a 95th-minute header. The result avoided what would have been only Brazil’s second-ever defeat to Australia and prevented back-to-back losses following their elimination from the FIFA World Cup round of 16 against Norway.

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The performance drew fierce criticism in Brazil. Former World Cup winner Denilson said the display left a “very bad impression” at the beginning of a new cycle, commentator Galvao Bueno labelled it a “disgrace,” while Jose Trajano called for Ancelotti to be dismissed.

The reaction comes as Brazil continue to deal with the disappointment of their earliest men’s World Cup exit since Italia 90 and a championship drought that will now last at least 28 years.

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Speaking at a Football Forum in Brisbane ahead of Tuesday’s second meeting with Australia at Lang Park, Ancelotti insisted the criticism would not alter his approach.

“Criticism of my work is something that has always existed and always will exist,” Ancelotti told reporters. “This criticism doesn’t affect the idea I have for the future of this national team, of these players.

“How much can criticism affect the idea I have for the future? Zero!”

The experienced Italian, who signed a new four-year contract in May, acknowledged the enormous expectations that come with coaching Brazil. Winning the World Cup, he said, has to remain the objective.

“The expectations of being the national team coach are very high. Here, you have to win the World Cup,” Ancelotti said. “I don’t remember a year in my career when expectations weren’t high. They always have to be high and we have to give everything to our work.”

Ancelotti is using the current international window primarily to assess emerging talent and develop Brazil’s next generation. Seventeen of the 26 players he brought to Australia had 10 or fewer international caps, including 10 uncapped players.

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Nottingham Forest’s Jair, PSV’s Mauro Junior and Manchester City’s Vitor Reis all made their international debuts in Townsville, with Reis starting.

Ancelotti also singled out Arthur Dias, Gabriel Bontempo and Jair for praise and stressed that players do not necessarily have to be regular starters for their clubs to earn consideration if he believes they can contribute to Brazil’s future.

“The priority now is to build a new generation of footballers who can accompany the national team in the near future, which is the Copa America and the World Cup,” he said.

“It may be that today the 26 aren’t the absolute best, but we have to do something. We have to closely follow the young players who can represent the future.

“Until a year ago, a player who wasn’t playing wasn’t called up. Now, if a player isn’t playing for his club but we think he’s good for the future of the national team, I will call him up.”

The coach said Brazil are also monitoring players as young as 17, 18 and 19 as they attempt to accelerate the development of talented prospects following a period of transition that includes Neymar’s international retirement.

“It’s a really exciting, really interesting moment to look at new players, young players,” Ancelotti said. “We’re looking at players 17, 18, 19 years old. We’re looking at young players who are really, really talented. And we hope to have the possibility, the opportunity to help them grow faster.”

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Despite the emphasis on experimentation, Ancelotti rejected any suggestion that Tuesday’s game is being treated as an inconsequential friendly.

“Nobody on the coaching staff or among the players thinks we’re going to play just a friendly,” he said. “We think we’re going to represent an enormous country, an enormous shirt.

“For us, a World Cup match and a match against Australia are the same. We represent the greatest national team in the history of football.”

Brazil had originally planned an open training session for supporters on Monday but switched to a closed session, with Wednesday’s recovery session now scheduled to be open to the public.

Ancelotti also indicated that significant changes could be made to his starting XI against Australia, giving more young players an opportunity to impress.

“We are going to compete tomorrow again, trying to play better,” he said. “But it will be an opportunity for other players, other young players that didn’t play in the first game.”

Brazil will then travel to Kolkata to face India in October as Ancelotti continues his assessment of the squad.

“I want to know my players better so I have a clear idea when I choose the team for the official competition,” he said. “I don’t want to make mistakes.”