Carlo Ancelotti, 66, likes to cite his experience at the Rio de Janeiro Carnival when talking about football, referring to the mix of swagger, creativity and discipline necessary for success. The Italian, who joined the Brazilian team in 2025, watched the first night of presentations by the samba schools from this year’s Special Group at the sambadrome on Avenida Marquês de Sapucaí and was impressed.
The best parade that Sunday was that of Imperatriz Leopoldinense, with “Camaleônico”, a tribute to the multifaceted singer Ney Matogrosso. The title of the plot is also the adjective frequently used to classify the profile of Brazil’s current coach, who adopted multiple versions of himself to achieve important titles in the clubs he played for.
Carletto is known for being adaptable, malleable, willing to adjust the game model based on the athletes he has at hand. In recent decades, while the tactical debate oscillated between Pep Guardiola’s handling of the ball, José Mourinho’s rebounding and Jürgen Klopp’s pressure marking, the Italian lined up trophies using all of these styles or none.
“My style is to win”, he often says, in a joking tone, a playful boldness that seems to absolve him of shameless immodesty.
What Brazilians have learned in recent days is that this adaptability is not just a question of football strategy itself. It goes beyond the four lines, and this resulted in Neymar being called up.
Until the week before the lavish announcement of the 26 names called up for the World Cup, few of those close to the coach were betting on the old star’s presence on the list. In the physical conditions shown, he did not fit into the tactical plan. Behaviorally, he was not seen as a good influence.
However, faced with popular outcry and the appeal of even competitors – João Pedro, 24, campaigned for his idol and lost his place to him –, Ancelotti adapted.
“Football is not an exact science”, he stated, when justifying the inclusion of the 34-year-old athlete, who has played little in recent seasons and is already injured again. “You can’t say that this opinion is wrong, that that one is correct. In medicine, the doctor can say or not what is correct. In football, it’s not like that.”
Of course, there was no shortage of fans and specialized critics who pointed out that his choice was bad. There was also no shortage of conspiracy theories linking the call to the recent renewal of the coach’s contract until the 2030 World Cup and pressure from sponsors.
Ancelotti shrugged.
“Everyone can give their opinion in different ways. In the end, in this case, it’s me who has to make the decision. Luckily, today no one can say that the coach was wrong. We have to wait until the end of July”, he said, raising his left eyebrow, as is characteristic of him.
The Italian, in addition to a unique facial expression, has an unquestionable resume as a coach. He is the record holder for Champions League titles – there are five, not counting the two as a player – and also the only winner in each of the five main European national leagues (England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France).
As he explains in one of his books, “Quiet Lidership”, from 2016, his profile as a commander is based on three pillars: listening, respect and ego management. The tripod helps explain why Neymar will be in the United States and why the coach has developed some of the best versions of players with personalities as different as Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo.
In the description of carnival artist Leandro Vieira, from Imperatriz, Ney Matogrosso has many forms, one of them “a Tupiniquim shaman adorned with beads, parrot feathers and chimerical delusions”. At the carnival of dubious taste organized by the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) on the day of the convocation, at the Museum of Tomorrow, in Rio, a shy Ancelotti danced to the music.
In the end, the hope of those who support Brazil is that the Italian’s malleability will bear fruit and that the hexa trail will be the refrain of the Ramos school. “If you play at the party, forget about tomorrow”, asked the nation of Leopoldina, in verses that inevitably led to “crazy to be champion”.
