Carlo Ancelotti is keen to reintegrate Manchester United midfielder Casemiro into the Brazil squad after his appointment as manager was confirmed, per reports.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) have long had their sights set on the Italian, who has become the first foreign manager in the Selecao's history. After an agreement was reached with Real Madrid regarding the details of Ancelotti's departure, Brazil moved swiftly to name the 65-year-old as their new head coach.
Ancelotti is one of the most decorated club managers of all time, with the bulk of his recent success arriving during his two spells at Madrid. The Italian oversaw a La Liga and Champions League double during his first season back in the Spanish capital (2021-22) and one of the players key to those successes was Casemiro, who joined Man Utd the following summer.
The midfielder later disclosed that Ancelotti cried when he learnt of the player's decision to move on, but the Italian now has a chance to work with the 33-year-old again after taking the Brazil job.
MARCA reports that Ancelotti has spoken to Casemiro on several occasions regarding a potential return to the national team. The Man Utd man had been a staple of the Selecao for several years but he hasn't represented his country since October 2023. Casemiro's form dipped during his second season at Old Trafford but the experienced midfielder has enjoyed a resurgent campaign for the Europa League finalists, improving since Ruben Amorim's arrival.
Fabrizio Romano adds that Ancelotti is keen to add more leaders to his Brazil squad, with the relationship between the pair still strong from the time they spent together in Madrid.
Ancelotti will pick the first Selecao squad of his tenure on 26 May — the day after Madrid's final game of the 2024-25 season — ahead of Brazil's World Cup qualifiers in June. Predecessor Dorival Junior helped steady the ship somewhat after a poor start to their qualifying campaign, but he was also the man responsible for overseeing their chastening 4-1 defeat to eternal rivals Argentina earlier this year.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Carlo Ancelotti 'Opens Door' for Man Utd Midfielder at Brazil.
