‘In other countries, the national team isn't as important as it is in Brazil’

The big interview Carlo Ancelotti Head coach wants to ease the burden on Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior and end the Seleção's long wait for World Cup glory

- Thiago Rabelo

Carlo Ancelotti is keen to end Brazil's 24-year wait for victory at the World Cup this summer

(LUCAS FIGUEIREDO/THE GUARDIAN)

Is Carlo Ancelotti an ambitious man? The Italian leans back and smiles. “Me? I’m not ambitious. Why? Why are you asking that?”

The reason for the question is simple: the 66-year-old is one of the most successful managers ever, with five Champions League wins and league titles in England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. But he still wants more. Last May he was appointed Brazil head coach with one objective: to win the World Cup.

“I’m not obsessed with winning,” Ancelotti says. “What I have is a passion for enjoying the moments that football has given me. I’m not obsessed with winning the World Cup, but I have the pleasure and passion to enjoy the moment I’m living, leading the most important national team in the world.”

Having played in the World Cup, this is the first time Ancelotti will take charge of a team at the tournament. His task is to put Brazil back on top of the world and break a drought that goes back to 2002, which equals the longest period the nation has gone without winning the World Cup since the lean period from 1970 to 1994. Ancelotti does not seem fazed though and one of the reasons is his passion for the sport. He may have had 47 years at the very top - 16 as a player and 31 as a head coach - but what is striking during our long interview is that he has lost none of his enthusiasm for his job. He is here because he is in love with football.

“I couldn’t live without football,” he says. “If I’m no longer on the pitch, I'll be there as a fan watching the match. For me, watching a match on the TV isn’t work. It’s a pleasure. I really love cinema. For me, football is like the pleasure of watching a film. It’s the same feeling. The day I stop working in football, I'll still watch in the same way, without any problem.”