Brazil’s fury after Ancelotti’s first defeat: ‘We played against the referee’

Samir Xaud, President of the Brazilian Football Confederation, complained after Carlo Ancelotti’s first defeat as the Seleçao coach: ‘We played against 14, it’s sad.’

Italian coach Ancelotti suffered his first defeat as the Brazil boss on Tuesday night as Bolivia secured a 1-0 win that sent them to the World Cup playoffs, overtaking Venezuela.

It was played at the Estadio Municipal de El Alto, which has an altitude of approximately 4,150 meters.

The thin air posed a serious challenge for the travelling side and, according to Gazzetta, some of the balls even seemed underinflated, adding to Brazil’s struggles.

What Ancelotti said after Brazil’s defeat vs. Bolivia

Bolivia won the game thanks to a penalty kick goal, awarded with a VAR check, and scored by Miguelito at the end of the first half. Ancelotti was seen complaining to the referee at the beginning of the half-time break and at full-time.

According to Gazzetta, Ancelotti also protested against the behaviour of law enforcement and organisers on the field.

At the end of the game, he said, “This is not something coaches should have to deal with, but rather the match official.”

The Italian tactician, who had rested many regular starters, including Roma’s Wesley, admitted it was a “tough match, both physically and technically.”

Brazil fury after Ancelotti’s first defeat

Samir Xaud, President of the Brazilian Football Confederation, was much more direct than Ancelotti: “We played against 14,” he said.

“What happened today is sad. We came here to play football, and what we witnessed from the moment we arrived was anti-football. At 4,000 meters of altitude, we played against referees, the police and even the ball boys, who were removing balls from the field and throwing others in. It was a disgrace. Playground football.”

Brazil have qualified for the 2026 World Cup, seeing Ancelotti secure two wins, one draw and one defeat in his first four games in charge.