Carlo Ancelotti has officially begun his journey as head coach of the Brazilian national team, and it hasn’t taken long for headlines to follow. After unveiling his first squad — which notably left out Neymar, Rodrygo, and Endrick — the Italian sat down with Globo Esporte for a wide-ranging interview. And while he spoke warmly about most Brazilian players he has coached throughout his career, he dropped one mysterious revelation.

"I've coached 34 Brazilians… if I had a problem with one? Maybe. But I won’t say who."

That single phrase was enough to ignite speculation across both Brazil and Spain.

A Legacy of Brazilian Stars — With One Exception?

Ancelotti has coached some of Brazil’s biggest names during his stints at Milan, PSG, and Real Madrid:

• Ronaldo Nazário
• Kaká
• Cafú
• Dida
• Thiago Silva
• Casemiro
• Vinícius Jr.
• Rodrygo
• Éder Militão
• Endrick

In the interview, he praised Ronaldo as the most technically gifted, Cafú as the most professional, and Vinícius Jr. as “very, very humble.”

“All of them have called to wish me luck,” said Ancelotti. “Vinícius, for example, is such a humble guy.”

But when pressed about any difficulties with players, his coy admission of a potential falling out with “one” Brazilian opened the door to endless theories. He gave no name, no timeline, no hint — just enough to spark curiosity.