A former Real Madrid player goes straight after Barça's best signing

The mediocre season Real Madrid had last year cost veteran coach Carlo Ancelotti his job. After several seasons leading the white team to the top, he saw Florentino Pérez end his time at Madrid. For the first time in a long while, the team failed to win any titles and their participation in Europe was very discreet.

Florentino Pérez decided to bring fresh air to the Madrid locker room by signing a familiar face to the club, Basque Xabi Alonso. Two seasons at the German club Leipzig, where he won the club's first Bundesliga, were enough for him to become the new white coach. This way, the Ancelotti era came to an end, with the Italian coach saying goodbye as the club's most decorated manager with 15 titles won.

Carlo Ancelotti became, weeks after leaving Bernabéu, the new coach of the Brazilian national team. Ancelotti has announced his first squad list to play the matches against Chile and Bolivia in September. The five-time world champions have already qualified for the 2026 World Cup and the squad is led by Raphinha, while the four Brazilians from Real Madrid are left out.

Ancelotti's squad list

The first squad list from the former Real Madrid coach has caused some controversy, as none of the Real Madrid players have been drafted. As a result, Vinícius, Rodrygo Goes, Militao, and Endrick have been left out of the list. Meanwhile, Barça forward Raphinha is included in the list of players released by Ancelotti.

Carlo Ancelotti has stated that his idea was to see new players whom he doesn't know well on a personal level. Vinícius's absence is also due to the fact that the forward must serve a suspension for yellow card accumulation and would only have been available against Bolivia. Neymar, who hasn't played for Brazil since October 2023 due to various injuries, is also left out of the list.

The squad list that creates some controversy

Some media outlets have suggested a certain favoritism toward Real Madrid for not calling up any of the team's Brazilians. On the other hand, he has included Raphinha, a key player in Hansi Flick's system. Some point out that the squad list shows a clear collusion between Ancelotti and his former club by giving the white players a rest.

The Brazilian national team secured their qualification for the 2026 World Cup in June after their victory against Paraguay. As a result, the matches against Chile and Bolivia won't have any further significance beyond leaving a good impression and the honor of achieving victory. Without a doubt, the blaugrana Raphinha will be one of the players who will lead the Brazilian team with his play.