Ancelotti causes controversy as soon as he takes office as Brazil's head coach

"Don Carlo" removed Neymar and put Antony on the first call-up list as head coach of the Brazilian team.

In the recently announced list to prepare for the two 2026 World Cup qualifiers next month, the Italian strategist called up Antony, while eliminating Neymar, the star currently playing for Santos.

Brazil national team squad list.

This is the first time Ancelotti has taken charge of the "Selecao" after agreeing to leave Real Madrid to take over the team that won the world championship five times. This veteran coach is expected to help Brazilian football regain its glory after years of decline. And the choice of Antony instead of Neymar immediately attracted attention from the media and fans.

Antony, who is on loan at Real Betis from Manchester United, has enjoyed an impressive resurgence in Spain. Since joining Betis in January, the 24-year-old winger has scored nine goals and provided five assists in just 25 appearances, a return that far outstrips his lacklustre form at Old Trafford.

The return of Casemiro, Antony's former teammate at MU and also a seasoned veteran of the Brazilian national team, is seen as a necessary addition in terms of leadership for a squad in transition.

On the contrary, the exclusion of Neymar has caused much controversy. Although the 32-year-old striker has just returned to Santos after a long period of injury treatment, coach Ancelotti seems not ready to put his trust in him in this first training session.

Ancelotti’s Brazil debut will be on June 6 and June 11, against Ecuador and Paraguay respectively in the South American 2026 World Cup qualifiers. This will be an opportunity for him to assert his new philosophy and test out young faces, including Antony, who is eager to prove his worth after a difficult period in the Premier League.

Source: https://znews.vn/ancelotti-gay-tranh-cai-ngay-khi-nham-chuc-hlv-truong-brazil-post1556006.html