Carlo Ancelotti has admitted that Martin Odegaard represents one of the main threats to Brazil's chances of winning the World Cup, despite once describing the Norwegian's signing as a 'PR exercise'. The legendary Italian manager, currently in charge of the Selecao, is masterminding their World Cup campaign. Brazil reached the last 16 after topping their group, before requiring a last-minute goal from Gabriel Martinelli to oust Japan in the last round. The Arsenal forward is set to be rewarded for his matchwinning exploits with a place in the starting XI this evening when he will take on his club colleague Martin Odegaard.
Ancelotti's Past Criticism of Odegaard's Signing
The 67-year-old was unimpressed when Odegaard signed for Real Madrid as a teenager and was unwilling to give a player with such limited experience a chance to shine in his star-studded team. Indeed, he infamously blamed Florentino Perez for Odegaard's failure at the Bernabeu after the club president moved heaven and earth to sign a player who was wanted at the time by all of European football's heavyweight sides. 'When Florentino buys a Norwegian footballer, you simply have to accept it,' he wrote in his autobiography Quiet Leadership. 'Furthermore, the president decided that he would play three games with the first team as a public relations exercise. He could be the best player in the world, but I don't care because he was not a player who I asked for. That signing was to do with PR.'
Odegaard's Development and Current Form
More than a decade on, Odegaard has finally fulfilled his potential at Arsenal following a series of loan moves and comes face-to-face again with a manager who deemed him surplus to requirements. 'We signed [him] when he was 16,' Ancelotti said in his pre-match press conference. 'Real Madrid, [he] was a really talented player, talented kid, was 16. I think he developed really well. It took time because he went in a lot of teams and now I think he found a really good situation in Arsenal. He is a key player for Arsenal and then he is showing his quality, the same quality that he had when he was 16. Add to the quality the knowledge, of course. Really intelligent player. He knows really well the situation of the game, so one of the key players of Norway.'
Impact on Brazil's World Cup Campaign
With the Gunners skipper at the heart of his side's midfield, Martinelli knows only too well how much of a danger his teammate can be, as does Ancelotti. Brazil's path to the quarter-finals has been challenging, but Ancelotti's men are determined to overcome Norway and continue their quest for glory. The match promises to be a fascinating encounter, with Odegaard looking to prove his former manager wrong once again.
