Thiago Silva did not stay silent. The 41-year-old defender and former Brazil captain came out to criticize the overhaul Carlo Ancelotti is pushing in the national team: “That’s not how it works in a national team”, he fired back, adding that the Italian coach “comes from Europe, where it’s easier to do that”.
Ancelotti’s response did not take long. When announcing the squad for the two matches against Australia, he left a phrase that sums up his philosophy: “A 34- or 35-year-old player has no future, they are the present”. He clarified that he does not view age as a fixed rule, but that now is the time to prioritize young players with potential.
The numbers back the shift: only two called-up players are over 30, Douglas Santos and Marquinhos, both 32. The rest of the squad he coached in Milan and PSG alongside Thiago Silva was left out of this stage, as Brazil charts its course toward the next World Cup after the early elimination against Norway.