Ancelotti causes controversy with decision to call up Raphinha

Brazil won an early ticket to the 2026 World Cup, but Ancelotti still called up Raphinha, while Real Madrid's mainstays were given a rest.

Coach Ancelotti still makes Catalan people uncomfortable

Carlo Ancelotti - currently Brazil coach and having left Real Madrid three months ago - continues to show his special attachment to his former players at the Bernabeu. During the training camp to prepare for the two South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, he decided to rest Vinícius Junior, Rodrygo and Éder Militão.

Notably, Ancelotti still included Barcelona striker Raphinha in the squad. Brazil will face Chile on September 4 and Bolivia in La Paz on September 9. Although the Selecão have already secured a ticket to the 2026 World Cup, Ancelotti still believes that Raphinha's presence is necessary, while many other pillars are kept in reserve.

Vinícius is suspended for the match against Chile but is fit to play against Bolivia. However, the Italian coach deliberately left him out of the squad to avoid long flights, pressure from the national team and especially the match at the Municipal de El Alto stadium in La Paz - which is more than 4,000 meters above sea level.

This decision is even more remarkable when placed in the context of Ancelotti having just gone through a trophyless season with Real Madrid, even losing all 4 El Clasico matches against Barcelona. After that, Real was forced to say goodbye to him, paving the way for a new journey as head coach of the Brazilian national team.

Source: https://znews.vn/ancelotti-gay-tranh-cai-voi-quyet-dinh-trieu-tap-raphinha-post1580012.html