Ancelotti plans changes and highlights 'attitude' as the key to the national team's success

Coach Carlo Ancelotti held a press conference this Monday (September 8th) at Granja Comary. This Tuesday (September 9th), the Brazilian National Team will face Bolivia at El Alto Stadium at 8:30 pm in the final round of the World Cup Qualifiers. The Italian coach highlighted not only the effects of the altitude of over 4,000 meters in El Alto, the match's venue, but also the mentality he expects from the Brazilian National Team.

In fact, according to the coach, the players' attitude has been the highlight of his first matches leading the national team. However, talent and attitude must go hand in hand.

"I talk about this a lot; I believe it's the key to success. Brazilian players have a lot of talent. The key to success is talent plus attitude. Talent with zero attitude doesn't win. Zero talent with a lot of attitude doesn't win either. With the combination of talent and attitude, you can win," he stated.

"What I liked most about these three games was the team's attitude. In my opinion, the attitude was very high. This is an important foundation for the team's future," added the Italian.

Team and strategy adjustments for altitude

For Tuesday's match, Ancelotti has announced that he intends to make significant changes to both the lineup and strategy. After all, physical exertion, combined with the particularities of the altitude, will be a determining factor in his selections.

"My idea is to make some changes, not just with the players. We're training now, analyzing the players' fatigue, and then we have to consider that there's a component to analyze that could change the game strategy. I'm seeking information from those who have played there. I don't have much experience with altitude; I only played in the World Cup once, in 1986. Brazil has played there many times, and many of the people who work here have experience—the physios, the players. It's nothing new for the national team, and it could be for me. I have to trust the people who have more information than I do. My idea is to change the strategy and some of the players as well," he said.

Furthermore, the manager also intends to rotate the squad, offering more minutes to athletes who have had little space since his arrival.

"I also want to meet players who can play with others. I also want to consider the important factor of altitude to put fresher players on the field. This is also a strategy. But we have to play differently than we did against Chile. It was a very intense game, with a lot of pressure. You can't do that at altitude," he explained.

Check out other answers from Ancelotti

FIFA date balance

"The good thing about this date is that I met new players. I liked it because the new players helped the team play well against Chile. I didn't know Douglas Santos, but he had a great game. I really liked Luiz Henrique when he came on. But the goal was to win the game and get to know the players. So, I can say that the objective was achieved in that sense."

Fight for places in the World Cup

"Obviously, memory counts. I know Rodrygo very well. I'm sure he can return to the team. But now we're evaluating all the players, looking at their physical, technical, and tactical levels to form a World Cup team that's as competitive as possible. There's no favorite. The truth is, the pitch won't tell us who the players are for the World Cup."

The team has not yet conceded a goal under him.

Defensive work starts with the attackers. This makes defending easier and easier to control. The team's defensive performance has been very good. But we have to keep working. All attackers have to work.

Casemiro's replacement

There's no such thing as a midfielder with the same characteristics. There are players who can play this position with different characteristics, like Andrey Santos, Bruno... I also think that, with different characteristics, because I'm not crazy, Paquetá has the skill and technique to get the ball there.

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