Brazil President does not like the idea of Ancelotti leading the national team

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Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed his disapproval of the selection of Carlo Ancelotti as the new coach for the Brazil football team.

He suggested that Ancelotti should focus on resolving the issues within the Italian national team instead. 

Ancelotti, a highly successful coach with four Champions League titles, will assume his role before the Copa America in the United States in June, after fulfilling his contractual obligations with Real Madrid.

“I admire Ancelotti, but he has never been Italy’s national coach,” Lula told TV station SBT on Thursday.

“Why does he not resolve Italy’s problem, who did not qualify for the 2022 World Cup?” added the 77-year-old.

During the meantime, Fluminense coach Fernando Diniz will assume the role of leading Brazil in their initial 2026 World Cup qualifying matches.

“I am a fan of Diniz,” said Lula. “He has the personality, the creativity and it is he who commands the dressing room.”

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has chosen Ancelotti, considering him as one of the most accomplished coaches in European football history, in hopes that he will lead them to their sixth World Cup victory, the first since 2002. This desire has intensified, especially after their bitter rivals, Argentina, won the tournament in Qatar last December.

“It is very easy to coach a club in Europe with 11 international players in the team,” said Lula.

“What is difficult is to come here and to coach Corinthians (who are in danger of relegation from the top league).

“I would like to see if Ancelotti did a good job with Corinthians.”

Lula believes that regardless of the coach’s identity, the current generation of Brazilian players will face significant challenges in the World Cup qualifiers.

“The problem is not Diniz, the problem is we do not possess today the level of players we had in previous eras,” said Lula.

Ancelotti is set to become the fourth coach of Brazil who is not from Brazil. The most recent non-Brazilian coach was Filpo Nunez from Argentina, who led the team for a single game in 1965.

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