Cafu: “Ancelotti is not the right coach for Brazil — he doesn’t know local players well enough”

Former Brazil national team captain and legendary defender Cafu shared his thoughts on Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, who is currently considered the top candidate for the head coach position of the Brazil national team. According to him, the experienced Italian manager may not be the best fit for the Selecao.

“The situation is very clear — our national team currently doesn’t have a manager, and we urgently need a qualified one. Of course, everyone knows Ancelotti’s coaching ability, experience, and achievements. If he comes in and manages to fix things, that would be great. But I have serious doubts,” Cafu said in an interview with ESPN.

Cafu admitted that Ancelotti knows European-based Brazilian players well, but expressed concern over the coach’s lack of familiarity with Brazilian league players:

“Ancelotti knows how to use Brazilian players who are playing in Europe, understands in what situations and styles to use them. But the issue is not limited to just those players!”

“Think about it — will Ancelotti really wake up at 3–4 in the morning to watch matches like ‘Flamengo vs Corinthians’ or ‘São Paulo vs Palmeiras’? How much does he even know about what’s going on in Brazilian football?” — Cafu continued, voicing his concerns.

He further emphasized that the national team’s success does not solely depend on players in Europe but also on talented youngsters standing out in the local Brazilian league.

“Many say Ancelotti is ideal for Brazil because he knows the European guys well. But what about the young talents shining in our league? Who will pay attention to them? If we want a fully powerful national team, we need to answer these questions,” Cafu concluded.

As a reminder, the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti as Brazil’s head coach has been widely reported in recent months. However, no official agreement has been confirmed, and Ancelotti himself has not commented publicly. Furthermore, he remains under contract with Real Madrid until 2026.