2 weeks ago
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Cesar HernandezMay 16, 2025, 04:00 AM ET
Manchester United midfielder Casemiro has praised the hiring of Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti for the Brazilian nationalist team, saying that his state "needed" a salient manager similar the five-team Champions League winner.
Casemiro won 2 Champions League titles and a LaLiga crown during his 3 seasons playing nether Ancelotti successful Madrid.
"After Tite left, I deliberation it had to beryllium him," the 33-year-old told ESPN Brasil. "Brazil needed professionals similar him, Brazil needed a large sanction similar him, idiosyncratic who commands respect."
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) announced connected Monday that Ancelotti would decorativeness his clip with Madrid astatine the extremity of the play and instrumentality complaint connected May 26 arsenic the country's archetypal overseas coach.
"This feline is exceptional. This feline is incredible, the mode helium talks astir football, the mode helium understands football," Casemiro added.
"Let's bask it, due to the fact that careless of whether helium wins oregon loses, erstwhile this feline talks astir football, helium has charisma, a powerfulness to marque players execute astatine their best, to get the astir retired of them, to bring retired their champion qualities."
Once connected the sideline, Ancelotti volition request to deed the crushed moving with CONMEBOL's World Cup qualifying run resuming for Brazil with a June 5 distant lucifer against Ecuador. Five days later, they'll big Paraguay.
Currently 4th successful the standings, the five-time satellite champions volition request to decorativeness successful the apical six for an automatic spot successful the 2026 World Cup, which kicks disconnected successful conscionable 13 months.
Sources person told ESPN that Ancelotti's declaration is until the extremity of the 2026 World Cup, with an enactment to extend.
"I'm blessed that a manager of specified stature is coaching the Brazilian nationalist team, [but] I'm a small bittersweet that it's lone for a abbreviated time. Because, man, I accidental that I cognize him personally, I cognize him precise well, and conscionable 1 twelvemonth ... it's not capable time," Casemiro said.
"We needed more. For me, successful my opinion, fixed the circumstances, helium should person been determination before."
Regarding a reported instrumentality to the nationalist team, Casemiro -- who hasn't appeared for Brazil since October 2023 -- near things up successful the air, but remained hopeful.
"It's hard to speech astir returning to the nationalist team. It's inevitable erstwhile you speech astir the greatness of a manager similar that, you're person to winning. Of course, I'll accidental it again, it's not definite that Brazil volition triumph now," helium said.
"But erstwhile you person a manager of that stature and helium goes to the Brazilian nationalist team, of people you consciousness similar it, of people you privation to instrumentality to the Brazilian nationalist team."
Sources told ESPN earlier this week that Madrid were finalising details for Xabi Alonso to regenerate Ancelotti, lining him up arsenic caput manager heading into the summer's Club World Cup.
