Ancelotti explains his red card: "The referee told me I wasn't managing the bench well"

Ancelotti was sent off for poor bench management and blamed Brazil's mental collapse after conceding first against Japan in a 3-2 friendly loss.

Brazil lost 3-2 to Japan in a friendly on Saturday, with manager Carlo Ancelotti sent off late in the match. Ancelotti explained his red card by saying the referee told him he was not managing the bench properly.

Analysing the defeat, Ancelotti said Brazil played well for 70 minutes but collapsed mentally after Take Kubo's opening goal. He acknowledged his team lacked "balance, attitude and positive thoughts" after falling behind, though he defended the tactical approach of pressing higher up the pitch, which left them more exposed defensively.

He also noted that some Brazilian players stopped playing, waiting for the referee to call fouls.

Despite the loss, Ancelotti framed the friendly as a learning opportunity in Brazil's renewal process. He praised Japan's second-half performance and their pressing, and noted that Vinicius Junior scored twice in Brazil's comeback attempt, with Endrick hitting the post late on. "It's a period of testing," Ancelotti said. "We have to learn from this defeat, as always in football."