Ancelotti Demands Brazil Take India Seriously in Kolkata Friendly
Carlo Ancelotti has urged Brazil to approach India with full seriousness at Salt Lake Stadium, insisting that the hosts’ place in a cricket-led sporting culture does not diminish their affection for football or the challenge they can present on the pitch.
The friendly is Brazil’s final fixture of the current international window and their third match since a last-16 elimination at the 2026 World Cup. They have since drawn 1-1 with Australia before recording a 4-2 victory over the same opponents, with Ancelotti using the period to combine established internationals with newer members of the group.
The 67-year-old said Brazil were pleased to play in front of a large Kolkata crowd and hoped the occasion would provide an entertaining evening. While cricket remains India’s dominant sport, he said the local public’s enthusiasm for football was clear and that his players wanted to display their quality for those attending.
Ancelotti also highlighted India’s recent 1-1 draw against Panama as evidence that Brazil cannot treat the match as routine. He said the Blue Tigers had performed well against the Central American side and deserved complete respect from his squad.
Asked about his measured approach in a dressing room containing some of the game’s biggest names, Ancelotti said patience was central to both his personality and his work as a manager. He also rejected the idea that the fixture should be seen as a severe audition for individual players, describing it instead as a useful opportunity while Brazil continue shaping the final group for the match.
Brazil will next assemble in November, when they travel to Kallang in Singapore for consecutive friendlies against Japan and Singapore. India, meanwhile, remain at Salt Lake Stadium for another major South American test, with Uruguay due to visit on October 6.
