Sport
Ancelotti Says Neymar and Rodrygo Are Not Playing Because They Are Injured
Brazil’s head coach Carlo Ancelotti has opened up on why Neymar and Rodrygo were left out of the squad for next month’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Bolivia.
On Monday, Ancelotti named 26 players for the crucial games, but Neymar, who is still recovering from injury, and Rodrygo, along with Vinicius who is suspended, were missing from the list. In their place, fresh faces such as Kaio Jorge, Caio Henrique, Douglas Santos, João Pedro, and Luiz Henrique got the call.
Speaking to ESPN Brazil, Ancelotti explained his decision. He said that while he has great admiration for Rodrygo, every player representing Brazil must be fully fit. According to him, a national team player must be at 100 percent physically, and if not, there are always others ready to step in.
When asked if he had personally told Neymar and Rodrygo why they were not included, Ancelotti noted that he didn’t need to. He said they already understand the expectations that come with playing for Brazil. Still, he added that if either of them wanted more clarity, they could easily reach out to him since both have his number.
Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has opened up about a difficult period in his career, revealing that he almost stepped away from football.
Speaking during a recent interview, Bassey shared that he once made a personal promise to himself to quit pursuing football professionally if he failed to secure a spot at a professional club.
“I remember being 15 and going into my final year, and I told myself that if I didn’t get into a professional club, I would quit football. It was that simple,” he said.
“I would just stop pursuing it seriously and only play for fun. Thank God I eventually got a club, because I honestly don’t know where I would be otherwise.”
It has been reported that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) fined Egypt $5,000 following their clash with Zimbabwe for failing to manage post-match media obligations.
It was noted that after the match, the Egyptian players ignored the media. This action was said to be a violation of CAF’s media regulations, which led to the fine being imposed.
Head of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle, shared that the big-name players on the team are not happy about being benched.
He recalled when he took out Samuel Chukwueze during the match against Tanzania.
“Yes, of course, we’ve in this team a lot of big names. They are competitors; they aren’t happy when they go to the bench,” Chelle said at his post-match interview.”
“My job is to make choices, and we’re playing a 4-4-2 diamond, and at this moment I feel we have to protect the wing.”
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