Carlo Ancelotti convinced he can break a historic taboo
On the eve of Tuesday’s friendly between Brazil and Japan, Carlo Ancelotti reiterated that he has only one goal between now and next summer, that of returning the greenoro national team to rainbow success twenty-four years after the last time. A victory that, among other things, would break a historic taboo: no world champion selection has won the Cup under a foreign coach.
A rat invades the field, match suspended: photos
“It has never happened but as with all things there’s always a first time – commented Ancelotti, fresh from his recent 5-0 success at home to South Korea, in a press conference -I am here to give my best with the Brazilian national team, make my players play in the best way possible and bring home the World Cup”.
The five World Cups Brazil has won with Vicente Feola (1958), Aymoré Moreira (1962), Mario Zagallo (1970), Carlos Alberto Parreira (1994) and Felipe Scolari (2002) on the bench. All other champion national teams have won with a coach from their country, from Uruguay’s Alberto Suppici’s success in 1930 to Lionel Scaloni’s with Argentina in 2022.
Three Italian coaches have won the World Cup: Vittorio Pozzo twice (1934 and 1938, the only one among others in history to win two World Cups as a coach), Enzo Bearzot and Marcello Lippi on one occasion (1982 and 2006 respectively). Carlo Ancelotti is aiming to be the fourth coach from the Bel Paese to boast a World Cup on his palmarès, but he wants to do it at the helm of the Seleçao.
