Ancelotti responds to Laporta over Raphinha call-up

Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti has addressed the criticism from Barcelona president Joan Laporta regarding the call-up of Raphinha to the national squad. The Italian manager clarified that he had not received any requests from the Catalan club concerning the player's availability.

Ancelotti explained his selection strategy as part of a rebuilding project for the national team. "We have begun a renewal project, and now is the ideal time to carry it out. In September, we started assessing a group of younger players, and we are now continuing the same thing with these players who could form the future of the Brazil national team," he stated.

We prepared a balanced list, including 9 players of Olympic Games participation age, and up to 15 players under 23 years old. Carlo Ancelotti

On the tactical front, Ancelotti avoided a direct answer on whether Raphinha would continue to play as an out-of-out striker, a role he fills at Barcelona. He emphasized the versatility of his forwards and confirmed that Brazil would maintain a structure of three midfielders and three attackers for the upcoming friendlies against Japan and Singapore.