International Football
Brazil need to get the best out of Vinicius Jr, says Carlo Ancelotti
Brazil must help Vinicius Jr rediscover the form he has displayed at Real Madrid, new national team coach Carlo Ancelotti said on June 4.
Ancelotti, who guided the Spanish giants to several titles alongside the Brazilian forward, including two Champions League triumphs and two La Liga crowns, said that the player’s unique ability to unsettle opposing defences made him a vital asset.
“I don’t know if he’s been at his best here, but he has time to do what he does at Real Madrid,” he said ahead of Brazil’s World Cup qualifier against Ecuador on Thursday – his first match in charge of the Selecao.
“For us, he’s a fundamental player. We have to work to ensure he performs at his best here.”
Vinicius made his World Cup debut in Qatar in 2022 and has been a regular during their qualifying campaign for the 2026 tournament. However, the 24-year-old has struggled for form with the national team, falling short of his usual standards at Real.
Regarding his tactical approach, Ancelotti stated that he aims to field a compact, balanced team.
“I don’t want a team with a clear identity. We have to defend well, whether it’s 4-3-3 or 4-4-2. We have to defend together and use creativity with the ball,” the Italian said.
“Individual quality is not enough today; you have to combine it with attitude, drive and commitment.”
He did not reveal his starting line-up for his debut as coach, but Ancelotti did have words of praise for 18-year-old Estevao Willian, who is leaving Palmeiras for Chelsea and has been tipped for a bright future with the national team.
Said Ancelotti: “He’s got a special talent… he’s got character, he’s a good person, he’s humble, and he seems fine to me, but with a young player we have to be patient and careful.
“He has the characteristics to be very important for the future of the national team.”
Brazil are fourth in the standings in the South American World Cup qualifiers, while their opponents Ecuador are second, behind world champions Argentina. The top six qualify directly for the World Cup.
They will host Paraguay in Sao Paulo next week and could secure an early spot at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, meanwhile, said he had yet to decide whether captain Lionel Messi would start in their next qualifier against Chile, as he continues to closely monitor the 37-year-old’s fitness.
With their place at the Finals already secured, Argentina travel to bottom-placed Chile on June 5 without several regulars and with Messi’s role uncertain.
“We’ve been in contact (with Messi) recently. We haven’t decided yet whether he’ll play from the start or not. It would be good to know how he’s feeling physically,” Scaloni said.
“In principle, he’s available to play, and we’ll decide later.”
With a number of key players sidelined by injury or suspension, Scaloni called it a chance to test new talent ahead of their World Cup title defence next summer.
“We’re going to have a lot of players out. If some of the guys we call up are fit and ready to play, they’ll get their chance,” he said.
“I don’t have the starting eleven confirmed yet, but we will give some playing time to players who haven’t played much and who we believe are ready to play.
“Although the result is always important, we don’t think it’s crucial today. We’ll probably try to help these players settle in and give them the chance to get some playing time with the team.”
-Reuters
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Well-travelled Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte has been named as Guinea’s new coach, less than a month before their next round of World Cup qualifiers.
Duarte, 56, has twice previously coached Burkina Faso and taken charge of Gabon and Togo, while also coaching at clubs in Portugal, France, Tunisia, Angola and Saudi Arabia.
Guinea’s football federation gave no contract details when they made the announcement on Monday, but said they would be looking for Duarte to “restructure their national team”.
Guinea trail leaders Algeria by eight points in their World Cup qualifying group with four games remaining, leaving them with only a slim chance of qualification.
They play Somalia away on September 5 and then Algeria at home on September 8 in their next two qualifiers although a stadium ban means Guinea have moved their home game to Casablanca, Morocco.
-Reuters
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Veteran coach Louis van Gaal says he has been cured of cancer and is keen for a return to the higher levels of the game.
The 73-year-old announced three years ago that he was suffering from prostate cancer, but told a Dutch television talk show, “I’m no longer bothered by cancer.”
When he announced his illness, Van Gaal was the coach of the Dutch national team, but he has not worked since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
“Two years ago, I had a few operations. It was all bad then. But it all worked out in the end. I have check-ups every few months, and that’s going well. I’m getting fitter and fitter,” he said.
Van Gaal, whose career has included stints at Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, reiterated a lack of interest in returning to club management but said becoming the national coach of a top-tier country could tempt him back.
He now serves as a special advisor to Ajax.
-Reuters
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In a compelling twist of football destiny, Davide Ancelotti is stepping into his own spotlight as he begins his first head coaching role at Brazilian club Botafogo—just months after parting ways with his legendary father, Carlo Ancelotti, at Real Madrid.
The 35-year-old has been appointed as Botafogo’s new manager, the club announced on Tuesday, following the sacking of Renato Paiva. Davide, who has spent the last decade working alongside his father at some of Europe’s top clubs—including Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and Real Madrid—has signed a one-year deal with the Rio-based team.
This marks a significant milestone for the younger Ancelotti, whose career has long been shaped by his father’s influence, but who now faces the challenge of carving his own identity on the touchline.
The move comes shortly after both father and son departed Real Madrid at the end of last season, with Carlo taking over the Brazilian national team. Now, in a poetic alignment, father and son find themselves on different paths within Brazilian football—one leading the Seleção, the other steering the fortunes of a storied domestic club.
Botafogo’s decision to appoint Davide follows a controversial parting with Paiva, who was dismissed just days after their exit from the Club World Cup. Though he oversaw a stunning win over Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain, a 1-0 extra-time loss to Palmeiras in the round of 16 proved to be his final act after just four months in charge.
As Davide Ancelotti begins this new chapter, all eyes will be on whether the son of one of football’s most decorated managers can step out from his father’s shadow—and perhaps, in time, build a legacy of his own.
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