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The Italian refuses to underestimate the Atlas Lions
The Italian coach of the Brazil national team, Carlo Ancelotti, praised the strength of the Moroccan national team, stressing that the “Atlas lions” are a real challenge to the Seleção in the upcoming confrontation, on Saturday, in the third group of the 2026 World Cup.
“Morocco is a very organized team, a quality team in all aspects of the game. We have to play an integrated game in everything, we can’t ignore anything, not in defense, not in attack, not in attack and defensive transitions.”
The experienced Italian coach added: “We have to pay a lot of attention to the level of our defense and play strong on set pieces, because they are the source of our strength. There are no small teams in modern football, Morocco is one of the best teams in Africa.”
A strong team
Ancelotti refused to underestimate the Moroccan team, stressing. “I don’t want to be a runner-up or a champion of the African Cup of Nations, but they are a strong team and well prepared. They include top players and many of them have achieved considerable success in Europe. We have a lot of respect for this team.”
The record holder of the Champions League said about his expectations from the game. “I think the match will be very exciting. It is difficult to predict victory, but we are able to compete and even strive to win. Victory depends on small details, but I think our morale is high now.”
He warned of the danger of the Moroccan national team, saying: “All our opponents, like Morocco, have top players and can cause problems if we are not ready for the match.”
“We have confidence in this tournament, not only in the first game, because it’s just the beginning of the competition. We have prepared well and as for the fans, we will play in a way that they will enjoy. I think there is a big audience from Brazil and Morocco.”
Ancelotti said about moving from coaching clubs to national teams. “The task of the coach is to adapt. He has to adapt to many things: the characteristics of the players, the environment, the culture of the national team and the culture of the country.
Neymar’s recovery
In a related context, Ancelotti revealed the condition of Brazilian star Neymar da Silva, saying: “Neymar is doing everything to recover as quickly as possible. Hopefully he will join the team next week. There is no doubting his technical quality as well as his experience and the example he sets for the rest of the team.”
Ancelotti said with clear sadness about defender Wesley being left out of the roster due to injury. “Dismissing a player is a part of my job that I don’t like to do. It’s very sad. I had no choice. He suffered a serious injury and will not be able to recover during the World Cup.”
“When I announced the squad, the question was whether I would call 9 defenders or 8 defenders and an additional midfielder. The versatility of Danilo and Ibanez gives us confidence, so we preferred to include another midfielder who had a great season.”
“This is a new and unique experience. It is a responsibility and an honor to represent the country of football, the most decorated national team in the world. I want to enjoy this moment with joy and happiness, Ancelotti said clearly excited.
Referring to the identity of Brazil under his leadership, he emphasized. “A team that can compete with any team. We are fully confident that we can compete with any team. We have quality and experience. We have a team that gives us the confidence to compete with any team.”
