Carlo Ancelotti has only been Brazil's coach for a few months and has already found himself in his first major controversy. The Italian coach, with his usual calm and smile, has started making decisions that not everyone likes. One of them, perhaps the most delicate, has sparked a debate that could define his future on the canarinha's bench.
It's no secret that Ancelotti blindly trusts Vinícius Júnior. He knows him from Real Madrid, has watched him grow, has protected him in the most difficult moments, and considers him a key piece in his successes. The young striker is untouchable for him, and his idea is to build the new Brazil around him.
The shadow of Neymar
The problem is that Neymar is part of that equation. He's the top scorer in the history of the national team, an idol for millions of Brazilians, and a symbol of the torcida for more than a decade.
However, Ancelotti doesn't get along with him. It's not just a tactical issue, since both occupy the same area of the field as Vinícius, but above all, it's personal.
The Italian coach knows he can't have a substitute and upset Neymar in the locker room. For Ancelotti, it's better to set him aside before the problems turn into a fire that's impossible to put out in the team's coexistence. That decision, however, means facing a very powerful figure in Brazil.
Vinícius and Rodrygo, his safe bet
Meanwhile, Ancelotti feels comfortable surrounded by players he knows well and who have brought him titles in Madrid. Vinícius and Rodrygo are part of his Praetorian guard. With them, he won Champions, Leagues, and Super Cups, and he trusts he can repeat history with the Brazilian national team.
The coach believes Brazil must make a generational leap. Neymar's time has passed, and now it's the turn of a younger group, hungrier and less distracted. The risk is that the fans still idolize the Santos player and don't forgive him being so obviously sidelined.
An open war with an uncertain ending
Neymar hasn't stayed silent. In recent hours, he publicly replied to his absence from the latest draft with a message on social media full of irony and a defiant tone toward Ancelotti. This gesture confirms what many feared: the relationship between the two is practically nonexistent.
Ancelotti has said he hasn't drafted Neymar due to physical problems. Neymar hasn't stayed silent and has replied that he's perfectly fine and that his absence is due to technical reasons.
The great dilemma is now on the table. Ancelotti persists in his idea of building the project around Vinícius, leaving Neymar out. This way, he could achieve the renewal Brazil needs... or sign his own early dismissal.
Few coaches have survived with the canarinha after facing the fans' most beloved player.