Alisson: Carlo Ancelotti has completely changed the Brazilian national team

 Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker has praised Carlo Ancelotti's influence, claiming the Italian coach has completely revitalized the Brazil national team. Before their first match at the World Cup, the goalkeeper admitted that the squad had a difficult time before the former Real Madrid coach took over. Ancelotti is set to become the first foreign coach to lead Brazil in the World Cup on Saturday, and the internal reaction to his appointment has been overwhelmingly positive. After taking over the national team in May 2025, Brazil is Ancelotti's first experience at national level as head coach. Speaking from the Basking Ridge training base, Alisson highlighted the psychological change that had taken place in the team since the Italian's arrival. "There is no denying that the last period has been very difficult for us as players. We have experienced firsthand the difficulties we have had for various reasons. Since Ancelotti's arrival, the atmosphere in the team has completely changed. He has a strong personality and gives us peace, creating an environment focused on work, without controversy," the Liverpool goalkeeper told reporters. The veteran coach took over the team at a time when qualifying for the 2026 World Cup looked surprisingly poor. Alisson, who is preparing for a third successive World Cup as the undisputed number one in the squad with Brazil including Morocco, Haiti and Scotland, believes Ancelotti's unique blend of humility and elite tactical knowledge has been the catalyst for their recent improvement. "He is a resilient, humble person and chooses his words intelligently at the right time. He is a great coach. He has a clear understanding of football, which facilitates our style of play. These connections favor the team. I can see his joy and gratitude to be the coach of the national team," added Alisson. He even went as far as to compare his role in the national team to that of a politician: "He is a great champion, but he shows it. You can see it. We see it too. He has achieved everything in football and he is here with joy and enthusiasm. His position may be under more pressure than being the president of the country, in these terms." While Ancelotti manages the overall team philosophy, Alisson also took a moment to appreciate his long-time goalkeeping coach and childhood idol, Claudio Taffarel. The 1994 World Cup winner has been a fixture in Alisson's career both at international level and during their time together at Liverpool, providing an important link between Brazil's past and its successes. "One of the most vivid memories I have as a six-year-old is the semi-final against the Netherlands [in 1998]. My dad made a joke when Taffarel saved a penalty. He took a cake and put it on his face. I think that's why it stuck with me so much." – recalls Alisson. "It's a privilege to work with Taffarel, who is an idol, an inspiration and a reference for many Brazilians who wanted to be goalkeepers. As a child, the saying was: 'Taffareeel...'. He supports us in difficult times, he left a legacy that goes beyond what he did as a player. Perhaps people do not fully recognize the importance of Taffarel as a goalkeeper coach. I have managed to maintain a high level for so long because I have such a qualifiedcoach like him." Brazil enters the tournament with a new sense of purpose, as Alisson mentioned when he spoke of a "difficult period". The selection is keen to break a bad streak of being eliminated in the last two World Cups in the quarter-finals and not winning a trophy since 2002. They are scheduled to face Morocco in their first group match on Saturday.