Ancelotti on a mission to make Brazil champions again
Soccer Football - Brazil unveils new coach Carlo Ancelotti - Grand Hyatt, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - May 26, 2025 New Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti during the press conference REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes
RIO DE JANEIRO - Carlo Ancelotti was unveiled on Monday as the new coach of the Brazil national team, with the mission of pulling them back from a difficult period in order to prepare for the 2026 World Cup, as they seek to become six-time world champions.
The former Real Madrid coach will make his debut in the World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay in June.
"I'm honoured and proud to lead the best team in the world. I have a big job ahead of me," the 65-year-old Italian told a press conference at the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) headquarters.
"I'm delighted, the challenge is great. I've always had a special connection with this team... We're going to work to make Brazil champions again," he added.
Ancelotti, who was welcomed by former Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, took over from Dorival Junior, who was sacked at the end of March following a 4–1 defeat by Argentina, a humiliating loss that was the latest in a series of poor results.
Brazil sit in fourth place in the South American World Cup qualifiers, with the top six teams earning direct qualification.
The team's struggles began over two years ago when they were knocked out of the 2022 World Cup by Croatia on penalties in the quarter-finals. They have since lost five of their last 14 games, conceding 16 goals. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Ferrari heading for a hat-trick at Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans - Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France - June 14, 2025 Ferrari AF Corse's Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi during the 24 Hours of Le Mans REUTERS/Stephane Mahe The 24 Hours of Le Mans - Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France - June 15, 2025 Ferrari AF Corse's Antonio Fuoco, Nicklas Nielsen and Miguel Molina leaves the pit lane during the 24 Hours of Le Mans REUTERS/Stephane Mahe The 24 Hours of Le Mans - Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France - June 15, 2025 Ferrari AF Corse's Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi during the 24 Hours of Le Mans REUTERS/Stephane Mahe Defending champions Ferrari were heading for a third straight win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, after leading the 93rd edition of the race through the night and into Sunday morning at the Sarthe circuit. With six hours remaining, the number 51 factory 499P car of 2023 winners Alessandro Pier Guidi, Antonio Giovinazzi and James Calado led the number 83 AF Corse entry of Robert Kubica, Yifei Yi and Philip Hanson by some six seconds. The number 50 factory car crewed by last year's winners Antonio Fuoco, Nicklas Nielsen and Miguel Molina completed the lockout of the podium places. Porsche Penske's number six hypercar, which had led at the halfway stage after a safety car period, was fourth and Toyota's number eight car fifth. With six hours being the regular length of a World Endurance Championship race, and temperatures rising, there was however still plenty of room for late drama. The number 51 Ferrari had already fought back from eighth place after a puncture, a five second penalty and 20 second stop and go punishment to retake the lead by dawn. Swiss tennis great Roger Federer had waved the French flag to get the race underway on Saturday afternoon, with Porsche immediately seizing the lead from pole-sitters Cadillac. Cadillac had swept the front row in Thursday's qualifying but any advantage was short-lived as Porsche Penske's Julien Andlauer slipstreamed into the lead from third on the grid before the first chicane on the opening lap. "We're trying to hang in there, but it's tough out on track to be honest," said Sebastien Bourdais, who shares the number 38 Cadillac with 2009 Formula One champion Jenson Button and was in ninth place. "We're struggling with tyre degradation. And we're struggling with the balance." Ferrari worked their way to the front and Fuoco took the lead in the third hour on the run from Mulsanne to Indianapolis with the three Ferraris running 1-2-3 at the quarter distance. The BMW driven by Italy's MotoGP great Valentino Rossi had to retire in the LMGT3 category. The race at the circuit in north-west France features 62 cars shared by 186 drivers from 34 countries, and is the fourth round of the World Endurance Championship, with 21 hypercars in the battle for overall victory. Organisers have put the total weekend attendance at more than 300,000 spectators. Ferrari will be able to keep the trophy at their Maranello factory if the works team completes a hat-trick on Sunday. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
Al-Ahly midfielder Ashour to miss remainder of Club World Cup with broken collarbone
Soccer Football - Club World Cup - Group A - Al Ahly v Inter Miami CF - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, U.S. - June 14, 2025 Al Ahly's Emam Ashour walks off the pitch after sustaining an injury REUTERS/Marco Bello Al Ahly midfielder Emam Ashour will miss the remainder of the 2025 Club World Cup after scans confirmed he had suffered a broken collarbone, the Egyptian club announced on Sunday. Ashour left the opening match of the revamped competition against Inter Miami, which ended in a goalless draw, in tears after injuring his shoulder. "Medical examinations on Emam Ashour in a Miami hospital showed he sustained a broken collarbone, and he will miss the remaining matches in the Club World Cup," Al Ahly doctor Ahmed Gaballah said via the club's account on X. Ashour, who had previously suffered a serious shoulder injury while playing for the Egyptian national team in 2024, initially fell early in the game and received treatment on the sidelines before returning briefly and missing a one-on-one chance. However, the 27-year-old Egyptian Premier League top scorer was unable to continue and asked to be substituted in the 14th minute, being replaced by Ahmed Sayed (Zizo). REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
Australia coach McDonald backs stuttering Labuschagne
Batter Marnus Labuschagne is still a key part of Australia's future in test cricket despite failing to impress in their five-wicket defeat to South Africa in the World Test Championship final, coach Andrew McDonald said. Labuschagne opened alongside Khawaja, scoring 17 runs off 56 balls in the first innings and 22 off 64 in the second, with South Africa completing a remarkable turnaround on Saturday after successfully chasing down an imposing 282-run target. The 30-year-old has scored one hundred in his last 28 tests and has come away with single-digit tallies in four of his last 11 matches. "He's a big part of the future of the team. Anyone that averages 45, 46 in test cricket at that age is important. We've got older players there that are closer to the end than the start," McDonald told reporters. "We've got some younger players that are coming in. If he can get his game in good order for the next four or five years, he can underpin that batting order. But at the moment, he'd be disappointed with the returns. He's missed out on big scores. "But we're confident that he could return to his best and hence why we keep picking him. And at what point do we stop picking him? I think most players across their journey get dropped at some point in time..." Khawaja also struggled against South Africa, departing for a duck in the first innings and scoring just six runs in his second, but McDonald said the 38-year-old veteran's presence in the team was invaluable. "He's on contract, he's an important player. He gives us stability at his best at the top. And we like to look at our players at their best," McDonald said. "No doubt, a couple of failures here and people then start to talk about maybe it's the end. I don't see an end date with the way he's training, the way he's preparing, the way he's moving." Australia next travel to the Caribbean for a three-test series against West Indies beginning on June 25. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
