‘It doesn’t affect the decisions we’re going to make when the World Cup starts’, declared the coach of the Brazilian National Team
On Monday (9/6), the day before the match between Brazil 和 Paraguay, coach Carlo Ancelotti was asked about the possible departure of Gerson from Flamengo. The midfielder is in negotiations with Zenit, from Russia. The coach revealed that he had a conversation with the player about the subject and left the decision in his hands. The Italian recognizes that the football played in certain countries is more demanding than in others, but stated that he will continue to observe athletes from all corners of the world, ‘reassuring’ the red-and-black athlete about a possible transfer.
Ancelotti reveals conversation with Gerson about the athlete’s possible move to Russian football: “absolutely personal decision…”
Images: Wamo Channel
“I spoke about this subject with him. It’s a personal decision, it doesn’t affect the decisions we’ll make when the World Cup starts. Some competitions are more demanding than others. We’ll evaluate the players’ condition regardless of the championship. There’s a very long list of Brazilian players. We’ll look at all of them, because they can all be protagonists in the 2026 World Cup,” said Ancelotti.
Gerson has become a regular in the Brazilian National Team’s call-ups, but he fears losing his place if he goes to Russia. Striker Luiz Henrique, for example, has not been called up since he was sold from Botafogo to Zenit. The midfielder is in his second stint at Flamengo and has played 250 matches in total for the red-and-black team, in addition to 18 goals, 35 assists and 12 titles.
This season, he has played 27 times. Gerson is expected to start for Brazil in the match against Paraguay on Tuesday. The match, which will mark Ancelotti’s debut in Brazil, is scheduled for 9:45 pm (Brasília time) at the Neo Química Arena, for the 16th round of the South American Qualifiers.
Brazil is hoping to confirm its place in the 2026 World Cup early. To do so, it only needs to beat Paraguay and hope that Venezuela loses to Uruguay. The Canarinho is currently in fourth place in the Qualifiers standings, with 22 points, and is coming off a goalless draw with Ecuador away from home.
