Former player Walter Casagrande commented on the situation involving coaches Emerson Leão, Oswaldo de Oliveira and Carlo Ancelotti at the 2nd Brazilian Football Coaches Forum, this Tuesday (4).
. While being honored, the Italian coach heard criticism from Brazilianswho disagreed with the presence of the Italian at the head of the Brazilian team.
On social media, . The former Corinthians said he was ashamed and embarrassed by what happened.
“But I was so embarrassed, I was embarrassed. I saw inelegance, unnecessary aggressive speech at the wrong time, on the wrong stage, and rudeness for no reason,” he said.
“who is the best coach in the world at the moment, the most successful guy in recent years and who didn’t ask to come here and coach the Brazilian team”, he added.
The former Brazilian national team player took advantage of the moment to praise Ancelotti. Read Casagrande’s comment in full at the end of the article.
“I found it very ugly, unnecessary, the wrong stage, the wrong moment, the wrong time”, he highlighted.
“The World Cup is less than a year away. The guy is working. Ancelotti was embarrassed there, but he’s a polite guy. He’s very polite and would never respond or debate that rudeness there. Maybe he was even taken by surprise. He didn’t expect the rudeness he saw,” said Casão.
“But anyway, it was embarrassing, it was shameful, but keep going, because it won’t change anything. […] Ancelotti is working properly, in his own way, for the Brazilian team, for the 2026 World Cup. That’s it. There’s no point in having hate, no. You have to work, study and pursue it”, concluded Casagrande.
Understand the case
This Tuesday afternoon (4) was embarrassing for coach Carlo Ancelotti. While being honored at the 2nd Brazilian Football Coaches Forum, an event organized by the CBF, the Italian heard harsh criticism from Emerson Leão and Oswaldo de Oliveira, who disagreed with the Italian’s presence at the head of the national team.
At first, Leão took the floor and, with Ancelotti on stage, said he didn’t like foreign coaches in Brazil. Afterwards, however, he made a mea culpa by stating that Brazilians themselves ‘gave space’ for the entry of foreign professionals.
“I’ve always said that I don’t like foreign coaches in my country, and that goes for Mancini, who is the president (of the Brazilian Coaches Federation). I’m speaking here in front of our house. Before I said that I couldn’t stand, I wouldn’t stand (foreign) coaches,” said Leão.
“I’ve already said this and I won’t change it. I won’t change my opinion. But I have to be intelligent enough to say that this all has a culprit. Us. We, coaches, are guilty of the invasion of other coaches who have nothing to do with it. We’re not talking about names, we’re not talking about nationality. We’re talking about our mistake”, he added.
The embarrassment didn’t stop there. Oswaldo de Oliveira followed Emerson Leão’s line of thinking and admitted his upset at seeing a foreigner leading the team. Afterwards, he asked that, after ‘Carleto’, a Brazilian take over the command of ‘Escrete Canarinho’.
“I didn’t want a foreign coach, but there was no way. If it had to be, it would be this man (Carlo Ancelotti). I hoped to be this man. And after he leaves, world champion, let a Brazilian come (as coach)”, said Oswaldo de Oliveira.
Read Casagrande’s full statement:
“I thought about recording this video earlier, but because of Leão and Osvaldo’s speech at the CBF event.
But I was so embarrassed, I was embarrassed. I saw inelegance, unnecessary aggressive speech at the wrong time, on the wrong stage, and rudeness for no reason.
A lack of respect towards the coach of the Brazilian team who is there, who is the best coach in the world at the moment, the most winning guy in recent years and who did not ask to come here and coach the Brazilian team.
He didn’t take the place of any Brazilian, he was chosen by the CBF to coach the Brazilian team, since the last Brazilian coaches who led the team didn’t do anything, didn’t add anything to the evolution of our football.
So, the only way out was to bring in a guy with a global vision of football, a winning guy, a guy who has a spectacular and respectful trajectory.
Apart from Felipe Luís, who I think is fantastic, even his interviews are good, he is doing a great job at Flamengo and has a completely European way of watching football.
And Rogério Ceni, who is doing an excellent job at Bahia, a guy who has always prepared himself for this, who went abroad to study the working method, the training of European coaches, including Guardiola.
These two coaches are the best Brazilians at the moment. And they are evolving in an overwhelming way. And I have no doubt that these are two coaches who will have a place in European football, in some clubs, even in big European football clubs and could coach the Brazilian National Team in the future at some point.
But right now it’s Carlo Ancelotti, yes. Whether you like it or not, whether it hurts your ego or not, whether you speak hatefully or not, this is our reality and the reality of Brazilian coaches.
I know the Lion very well. I played with him, I think a lot of different things about him, but he’s always been that way, his personality, his speech is vehement, direct, what he thought in a very harsh way, because he’s always been that way, ever since he played. This is the Leo’s personality. The Lion was not surprising in the way he spoke.
But Osvaldo did. Osvaldo, when he worked at Corinthians, São Paulo, Fluminense, worked outside the country, he never worried about having these lines, in this way, with this hatred. Osvaldo had a hateful look on his face. He was speaking as if he was making a hate speech for Brazilian coaches against foreign coaches.
I found it very ugly, unnecessary, the wrong stage, the wrong moment, the wrong time.
The World Cup is less than a year away. The guy is working. Ancelotti was embarrassed there, but he’s a polite guy. He is very polite and would never respond or debate such rudeness there. Maybe he was even taken by surprise. He didn’t expect the rudeness he saw.
But anyway, it was embarrassing, it was shameful, but keep going, because it won’t change anything. Brazilian coaches are still behind, apart from Felipe Luís and Rogério Ceni. And Ancelotti is working in his own way, for the Brazilian team, for the 2026 World Cup. That’s it. There’s no point in having hate, no. You have to work, study and pursue it.”
