‘Ryan Williams is a good striker and can be really dangerous’ – Brazil coach, Carlo Ancelotti ahead of India Friendly

Ahead of the historic friendly between India and Brazil at the Salt Lake Stadium on October 3, Brazil captain Marquinhos, followed by head coach Carlo Ancelotti, attended the pre-match press conference. During the media interaction, both shared their happiness over the love and warmth they have received so far.

First, it was the 32-year-old centre-back who acknowledged the affection of Indian fans, saying: “We are very happy to be here. All the motivation and backing we have been receiving from our fans here, certainly our goal is to use that to have a great match and ultimately win. We want to do it with enthusiasm and character, and gain more confidence in the process heading into our next games.”

This is the first time the veteran defender has come to India and, while mentioning that, he also emphasised the great fanbase the Brazil football team has in this country, especially in Kolkata.

“This is the first time I have been to India and the love that we have been showered with, it is an added motivation. Not only for me, but also for the other players, especially the younger ones. Undoubtedly, Brazil has a strong fanbase in this part of the world and this city as well.”

He also clearly mentioned how closely the Selecao have been monitoring the Blue Tigers’ recent games. He even took the name of India goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, who is going to play his 90th game for the country, leaving Marquinhos quite impressed.

“We have been analysing all India games very thoroughly. India have played around six matches with one victory this year. Every match carries important moments. Brazil have been analysing their game. I have followed the goalie (Gurpreet), this is his 90th game and that’s massive.”

Meanwhile, after his departure, Ancelotti took centre stage and welcomed all the media representatives with a “Namaste”.

He also mentioned how honoured they are to be in Kolkata and get this opportunity to play against India.

“To be here, to play against India, it’s a great opportunity and we are very much looking forward to entertaining the fans. The football culture is here and that’s so lovely to see.”

“However, cricket has been the popular sport here, but the craze for football this country has, there is a lot of potential. No doubt about that.”

Some hard questions were asked to the Brazil coach, especially regarding their early World Cup exit earlier this year.

Ancelotti came with a clear acceptance, saying: “There were some mistakes in the team which we could not solve. Now, going forward, keeping an eye on the next World Cup, those mistakes need to be solved by us and that is what we are looking forward to.”

He even mentioned how, with Raphinha unavailable for this clash due to an injury, it could be a good opportunity for some players like Pedro and Endrick.

However, he also praised Ryan Williams, the goalscorer for India against Panama, saying:

“(Ryan) Williams is a good striker and I think he can be really dangerous. We saw how India played against Panama.”

In the end, he took two minutes extra to applaud all the media persons who attended the press conference and asked them to come to the Salt Lake Stadium as they hoped to deliver a stellar performance for their fans.

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