Why Carlo Ancelotti Has Axed Experienced Stars From His New-Look Brazil Roster
Carlo Ancelotti has ruthlessly dumped an array of experienced stars from his Brazil roster for the September international break as he embraces the country’s young talents.
After the summer’s premature World Cup exit at the hands of Norway, the veteran Italian manager had promised an overhaul of his squad, and he duly delivered with the 26-player cohort selected for upcoming friendlies with Australia and India.
Several of the most notable omissions have come between the sticks with Alisson and Ederson left out. Instead, an entirely new trio of goalkeepers has been selected, with Hugo Souza, Otávio and Pedro Morisco sharing just one senior cap between them.
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Ancelotti was eager to ease any fears over the long-term future of Alisson, however. “We know Alisson very well, and when the competitions—like the Copa América—come, if he remains being the best goalkeeper in Brazil, Alisson will play. Right now, however, we have to prioritize the younger ones.”
In midfield, Casemiro, Fabinho and Lucas Paquetá were all dumped, while Neymar was excluded following his retirement from international soccer. In the forward line, Matheus Cunha, Gabriel Jesus, Igor Thiago and Gabriel Martinelli are all absent.
Ancelotti still named a host of familiar faces to help propel the transition into a new era. Vinícius Júnior, Raphinha, Bruno Guimarães, Gabriel and Marquinhos have all been selected, while João Pedro has been recalled after a surprise snub at the World Cup—his club form made it impossible not to.
Brazil Squad for September, October International Break
Goalkeepers: Hugo Souza (Corinthians), Pedro Morisco (Coritiba), Otávio (Cruzeiro).
Defenders: Arthur Dias (Athletico Paranaense), Wesley (Roma), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Gabriel (Arsenal), Douglas Santos (Zenit Saint Petersburg), Jair Cunha (Nottingham Forest), Matheuzinho (Corinthians), Mauro Júnior (PSV Eindhoven), Vitor Reis (Manchester City).
Midfielders: Bruno Guimarães (Arsenal), Andrey Santos (Manchester United), Danilo Santos (Botafogo), Douglas Luiz (Juventus), Breno Bidon (Corinthians), Gabriel Bontempo (Santos).
Forwards: Endrick (Real Madrid), Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid), Raphinha (Barcelona), Rayan (Bournemouth), João Pedro (Chelsea), Estêvão (Chelsea), Samuel Lino (Flamengo), Pedro (Flamengo).
Why Has Ancelotti Named Such a Young Roster?
Ancelotti’s brutal axing of established names paves the way for a youthful revolution, with 11 of the players he selected under the age of 23. Eight of them are also yet to be capped by the senior side, including Nottingham Forest’s Jair Cunha and Manchester City’s Vitor Reis. Overall, 10 still play for club teams in Brazil.
Just Douglas Santos and Marquinhos are over the age of 30, while only the latter and Vinícius Jr. have earned more than 50 caps for the Seleção.
Ancelotti has insisted that change was necessary after a disappointing World Cup campaign, and believes a “new cycle” will benefit Brazil as they seek major titles over the coming years.
“The World Cup was a disappointment for us and for me personally,” said Ancelotti after naming his roster. "We weren’t able to play the way we expected. Being eliminated by Norway was a huge letdown because the team had actually played well up until the 60th minute of that match.
“We struggled in the first half, but the team improved after that. The defeat to Norway came as a surprise in that sense, because no one expected it to happen.
“At a club, you have the chance to process things and move on relatively quickly because there’s another competition coming up—with the national team, it’s more complicated. The pain of the defeat lingers much longer. Now, however, we are motivated by the fact that we have time to prepare for a new cycle and get ready for the upcoming competitions.”
Ancelotti added: “I chose these players—Marquinhos, Gabriel, Bruno [Guimarães], Raphinha and Viní Jr.—to help with this change in direction. They are crucial for the future.
“We are confident in their commitment to quality, seriousness and professionalism, and they will help the younger players improve. That doesn’t mean other players won’t be involved. We prioritized younger players for these friendlies to gather more precise information on everyone. It is possible that, by the time we reach the competitions, players not on this list today could be on the final squad.”
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