Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti knows football may not occupy the same place in India as cricket, but the celebrated Italian made it clear on Friday that his team has “full respect” for the country and is relishing the chance to showcase its quality in Saturday’s much-anticipated clash in Kolkata. The five-time Champions League winner said Brazil were looking forward to an entertaining contest against India in their invitational friendly at the Salt Lake Stadium, insisting the game should be viewed as an opportunity rather than a test for his players. “Cricket is part of their culture, football is not the most important game,” Ancelotti said in the pre-match media interaction.
Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti knows football may not occupy the same place in India as cricket, but the celebrated Italian made it clear on Friday that his team has “full respect” for the country.
“We have respect for the quality of the Indian team. They played a good draw against Panama. We are still defining the final squad for the match. It’s not a test, but an opportunity. “It’s a pleasure to work with all of the new members. Not only them, but the whole squad. “Training at clubs and training with a national team is very different. You have to select the right players. At a club, you have more time to do the right things. The most notable changes have come in goal, with Brazil leaving out their World Cup goalkeeping trio of Alisson, Ederson and Weverton. Corinthians’ Hugo Souza has taken over as the first-choice goalkeeper, with Coritiba’s Pedro Morisco and Cruzeiro’s Otavio named as his back-ups.
Ancelotti, who was appointed Brazil head coach in May 2025 ahead of the 2026 World Cup, said his side had the utmost respect for their opponents, who recently played out a 1-1 draw against Panama.
We have full respect for our opponents,” he said. On whether the match would serve as a test for his squad, he said: “For the squad and all the players, it’s not a test or an opportunity to prove themselves. It has been a great moment, bringing them together, creating synergy and feeling the energy in the squad,” he said. It is special to train the national team of Brazil,” he said.
