Ancelotti leads first Brazil training session

Italian Carlo Ancelotti led his first training session as coach of the Brazilian national team on Monday and spoke briefly with Casemiro and Richarlison, ahead of his debut next Thursday against Ecuador in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

Wearing a sports uniform and cap, the former Real Madrid coach began his work on the pitch at the Corinthians training complex, on the outskirts of the city of Sao Paulo, with the vast majority of the 25 players called up for the upcoming matches against Ecuador and Paraguay.

Carletto was the first to appear on the pitch along with goalkeeping coach Claudio Taffarel, with whom he spoke until the players appeared.

In the 15 minutes open to the press, the new 'Selecao' coach exchanged a few words with Casemiro and Richarlison, who have been called up after months of absence with the senior team.

A source from the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) commented that Ancelotti was “shocked” when he was told that the presence of the media is customary during the first minutes of the team's training session, although he understood and allowed the capture of images. Beforehand, the coach gathered the group at the training hotel and gave a first introductory talk to the players.

Only three players did not take part in this first training session after playing in last Saturday's European Champions League final: defenders Marquinhos and Beraldo, from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), and full-back Carlos Augusto, from Inter Milan. Expectations have been high since the arrival of 'Carletto' to the bench of the five-time world champions.

The CBF has presented him in full honours and publicises every step of the new coach in Brazil, from the purely sporting to the touristic ones, such as the visit he made to Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro.