Ancelotti responds to Laporta over Raphinha call-up
The Italian coach ignores the criticism of the Barcelona president
Carlo Ancelotti has brushed aside criticism from Barcelona president Joan Laporta, insisting the Brazil boss received no request from the Catalan club over Raphinha.
Ancelotti has called up Raphinha for November's international break, during which Brazil will play two friendlies in Singapore.
Brazil face Japan on Saturday 14 November before meeting hosts Singapore on the 17th.
According to Sport, the Barcelona star will have to cover a round trip of roughly 22,000 kilometres.
At the press conference following the squad announcement at the Brazilian Football Confederation's headquarters, reporters asked Ancelotti about Laporta's anger over Raphinha's injury during the most recent international break.
The Brazilian forward suffered a muscle tear on 29 September, picked up while playing for his country against Australia in Brisbane. He has yet to rediscover his best physical and technical level.
Laporta had claimed clubs suffer great harm because of international matches, and he voiced his displeasure at the length of the most recent break. Some nations played three games, as Brazil did, while the European sides in the UEFA Nations League played four.
Ancelotti said: "We maintain good relations with the Brazilian and European clubs, and we exchange information with them regarding the players. In general, this relationship is good."
The Italian was keen to stress he had received no special request from Barcelona, or any other club, regarding the two matches in November.
His tone then hardened. "We do not have special requests, nor do we need them. During international breaks, we will call up the players we consider important for the Brazil national team."
Reason for Raphinha's call-up
Ancelotti and the Brazilian Football Confederation have handed Brazil's clubs a favour never granted to their European counterparts, easing their call-ups as the domestic league reaches its decisive stage.
The Italian coach said: "This is a sensitive period, which is why we called up only one player from each team, and we decided not to call up any player from Flamengo or Palmeiras, because they are competing for the title."
Minutes earlier, Ancelotti had explained why he picked Raphinha, with the national side now turning to fresh faces after failure at the World Cup.
Ancelotti explained: "We have begun a renewal project, and now is the ideal time to carry it out. In September, we started assessing a group of younger players, and we are now continuing the same thing with these players who could form the future of the Brazil national team."
"We prepared a balanced list, including 9 players of Olympic Games participation age, and up to 15 players under 23 years old," he added.
The former Real Madrid coach also wants to keep what he called the backbone of the squad intact.
"We selected 5 players who took part in the last World Cup, and they will be important in the new phase during which we will play the Copa América and a new edition of the World Cup," he noted. "These players are Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães, Bruno Guimarães, Vinícius Júnior and Raphinha."
"As for Douglas Santos, we called him up again because he delivered a very positive level at the World Cup," he added.
Uncertainty over Raphinha's role as an out-and-out striker
On the tactical front, Ancelotti sidestepped a direct question about whether Raphinha would keep playing as an out-and-out striker. That's the role the Brazilian fills this season at Barcelona, and the one he was tried in during the friendly against Australia, where he picked up an injury.
The Italian kept it brief. "We have forwards who are versatile and can fill different positions," he said.
Ancelotti was far clearer, though, about the shape Brazil would take in their two friendlies against Japan and Singapore.
"I focus on what we can do, not on the quality of our opponents," he said. "We will continue to play with three players in midfield and three players in the front line."
That rules out, for now, any idea of fielding four players up front. Ancelotti tried it at the World Cup without much joy, and again in that first friendly against Australia.
