Relaxing at Last: Ancelotti Steals Some Time After World Cup Securement
Issue Resolved: Long-Awaited Holiday for Ancelotti Confirmed (Carlo Ancelotti) - Ticket for World Cup sold: long-awaited holiday for Ancelotti (paraphrased)
Let's face it, Carlo Ancelotti deserves a break. He's been running on fumes for quite a while now. "First things first, I'm taking a break," he chuckled. A vacation? You bet. The 66-year-old's last real vacation was hard to remember.
Just a few weeks back, the Italian parted ways with Real Madrid. Instead of sipping margaritas on a beach, he dashed off to the Seleção. A ceremony, followed by the grueling World Cup Qualification. With the 1-0 win against Paraguay, the Brazilians clinched their ticket to the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada under the tutelage of the former Bayern coach.
70 Prospective Players under Scrutiny
"We're thrilled with the qualification and the game," Ancelottishared enthusiastically. "But we still have a mountain to climb. A year to polish up." Thanks to the success, the Seleção has moved up to third place in the South American World Cup Qualification table with two games to go.
This shift means Brazil is off the hook of risking displacement by one of the top six places securing direct participation. However, the game against Paraguay wasn't perfect, but it showed considerable improvement from Ancelotti's debut against Ecuador.
Vini Jr. Scores the Winner
The guests were put under relentless pressure right from the start. Just before the halftime break, Vinícius Júnior netted the lone goal of the match for Brazil with a header from a Matheus Cunha cross in the penalty area – the first goal under Ancelotti as the national coach. The Real Madrid star scored under the very coach who had mentored him in Madrid.
In his post-match interview, the goal scorer stated, "I'm overjoyed with this result. It was essential to win at home for our fans. Now the coach has more time to figure out what we need to improve." Therefore, Ancelotti's much-needed break may be deferred a bit longer. He has quite a list of prospects he'll be scrutinizing for the World Cup, he mentioned. "That's about 70 players. We'll take our time to analyze each one carefully."
Neymar's Undetermined Future
This list includes the currently injured superstar Neymar, about whom Ancelotti was reserved. "We had a friendly chat," explained the coach. "If he's in peak form, he can play in any position on the field." The question now lingers about Neymar's fitness for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. He's recovering from injuries and recent tests positive for COVID-19, causing significant setbacks in his playing time for Santos FC.
His future at Santos is uncertain, with his contract ending on June 30, 2025. He has hinted he would decide on his future at Santos post June 12, depending on various factors, including the club's structure and marketability [4][5]. Given his recent setbacks, it remains unclear whether he'll recover in time for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
Despite the secured World Cup ticket, Ancelotti's attention now turns towards preparing his team, as he mentioned scrutinizing around 70 prospects for the upcoming tournament. Meanwhile, the future of star player Neymar remains a topic of concern, with his recovery from injuries and COVID-19 complications clouding his participation in the upcoming qualifiers.
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