Brazil's arrogance in football contrasts with its image as a happy country, says English commentator

"There is a lot of anger and a constant feeling [among Brazilians] that 'the world is against us'. This contrasts greatly with the international image of Brazil as a happy country," he says. "In fact, the world continues to deeply admire the history of Brazilian football. Many criticisms of the current team are, in essence, a reverence for the great teams of the past, especially the one from 1970." In an interview with BBC News Brasil, Vickery also analyzes the performance of Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti in the national team. According to him, Ancelotti is pragmatic and never intended to change the team's philosophy. "[It's like] a doctor who arrives with a Band-Aid and puts it in the right place", he defines. Check out the main excerpts from the interview. BBC News Brasil: How do you analyze Brazil's performance in the World Cup so far? Tim Vickery: It has been very interesting to see this cultural clash between the Brazilian mentality and an Italian coach from another school. In Italian culture, doing the minimum necessary is often enough. Ancelotti arrived with little time and realized that this group stage, especially in this format, allows for experimentation. He used this period as a laboratory to find the ideal team. In his view, Brazil evolved: the best game was against Japan, the second best against Scotland. In tournaments, you don't need to be the best team all the time. You need to be the best at the right time. The Brazilian mentality is still very much tied to the vision built between 1958 and 1970, when Brazil won three World Cups in four editions. Anything other than that seems unnatural. But the difference between football in 1970 and today is enormous. More countries started to take football extremely seriously. But many Brazilian fans follow international football little and end up judging the team without this context. My [Brazilian] grandson is going to be nine years old. He never saw Brazil become world champion, but even so, in the imagination of this generation there is still that idea of ??the superiority of the Brazilian team. There are situations that only happen here, like booing Alisson [the Brazilian goalkeeper was booed at Maracanã after conceding a goal in the game in which Brazil beat Panama 6-2, on May 31]. I see these cultural clashes between Ancelotti's approach and a Brazilian expectation that, in many ways, is still stuck in the past. [bbc] The 1970 team enchanted the world and set a standard that has never been repeated, says Tim Vickery Getty Images BBC News Brazil: Did you already notice this attitude when you moved to Brazil in 1994? Vickery: Yes. This idea already existed. Sometimes I even feel a certain pity, because the World Cup is a journey, but in Brazil it seems that only the destination matters. If it doesn't end with the title, it's worth nothing. It's a curious situation: Brazilian fans are, at the same time, unaccustomed to historical success and frustrated by recent results. BBC News Brasil: There was an expectation that a foreign coach would solve the team's problems. But, a year after Ancelotti's arrival, the team still appears to be under construction. Was the expectation unrealistic? Vickery: It was. There are technicians who arrive to implement a philosophy and others who work with the material they have. Ancelotti belongs to the second group. From the beginning he said he didn't want a team tied to a single identity. You want a team capable of doing different things as the game demands. Expecting him to completely transform Brazil in one year was never realistic. His great merit is his serenity and ability to make difficult decisions. Against Japan, for example, he made changes that almost no one would make and they decided the match. This doesn't happen by chance, it's a hallmark of his career. So, instead of a great idealist, a great philosopher with a football idea who wouldn't have time to implement it, you have a doctor who arrives with a Band-Aid and puts it in the right place. BBC News Brasil: What level do you see Brazil at in this World Cup? Vickery: France is a cut above everyone else. But Brazil remains capable of beating any team. Ancelotti himself knows that there are several teams that can beat Brazil, but he also knows that Brazil can beat any of them. France would be difficult, but he will raise an eyebrow and think of a way. BBC News Brasil: You recently criticized Brazilians on social media who have a very reactive speech when foreigners criticize the team and are constantly demanding respect for the team. Can you explain? Vickery: I talked about both the national team and the [Brazilian] clubs, but almost all the answers focused on the national team. And I realized that this speech appears everywhere: "you have to respect Botafogo", "you have to respect Fluminense"... It's something very strong in Brazilian culture. Brazil is a country that has built many myths about itself. National identity was strongly shaped throughout the 20th century, and football played a central role in this process. When I arrived here, one of the things that surprised me most was the amount of anger present in the sports debate. There is a lot of anger and a constant feeling [among Brazilians] that "the world is against us". This contrasts greatly with the international image of Brazil as a happy country. In fact, the world continues to deeply admire the history of Brazilian football. Many criticisms of the current team are, in essence, a reverence for the great teams of the past, especially that of 1970. BBC News Brasil: Do you feel that, because you are a foreigner, the criticisms you make of the Brazilian team provoke stronger reactions? Vickery: Given the enormous insignificance of my opinion, I am obliged to agree. [bbc] Tim Vickery moved to Rio in 1994 and became a specialist in South American football. Eduardo Martino BBC News Brasil: Does this idea that the national team's shirt has an almost mythical strength end up harming the team? Vickery: Tradition can inspire, but it can also hinder. Confidence is not an abstract thing, it comes from the perception of one's own ability. Brazil is historically the greatest team in the world, but it is the only major power to have hosted two World Cups and not won either. The pressure weighs a lot. BBC News Brasil: Do you think the Brazilian fans are more of a hindrance than a help? Vickery: It might get in the way. And it's not just the fans, but also the need to do justice to a tradition that weighs heavily. In 2014 this became very clear. Germany would probably beat that Brazil most of the time. But it would never be 7-1 without all the emotional pressure of a World Cup played at home. BBC News Brazil: Many Brazilians are impressed by images of fans in countries like Bangladesh, Haiti and Lebanon celebrating Brazil's victories. Does the symbolic strength of Brazilian football abroad remain the same? Vickery: I think it's slowed down a little bit, but it's still very strong. This has a lot to do with Mexico in 1970. That team marked the imagination of the entire planet. Brazil became the "second team" for many people. Brazil became established as the land of football purity. It wasn't just that he won, it was how he won. He won without tricks, without dirt. Anyone who knows the history of South American football knows that this vision is too idealized, but this is how Brazil came to be seen, and this image continues to serve as a parameter. Today, when people see Brazil treating the ball in midfield like they didn't in the past, or players falling on the field in a way they didn't fall, the comparison arises. There was even a debate about the dances [when celebrating goals] in the last World Cup. For many people, that sounded like a form of humiliation of the opponent. In Brazil, the answer was: "This is part of our culture." The foreigners respond: "But the 1970 team didn't do any of that." Because of this, people who previously adopted Brazil as their second team no longer do so with the same frequency. Nike [sponsor of the national team] tried to reinforce, in the 1990s, this almost mythical image of Brazil as football's Dream Team. However, when reality does not correspond to this ideal, it generates an opposite reaction. BBC News Brasil: There is a possibility that Brazil and England will face each other in the quarter-finals. How would this confrontation be seen by the English? Vickery: First England would have to go through Mexico at the Azteca [stadium], which would already be very difficult. But, of course, Brazil continues to command enormous respect. Even with problems, he has enough individual talent to decide any game. If England eliminated Mexico, Brazil and Argentina in a row, it would be, for me, the greatest campaign in the history of the English team. BBC News Brasil: Brazilian clubs are today the strongest in South America, and almost all recent editions of the Copa Libertadores have been won by Brazilian teams. Why doesn't this translate into Brazil's superiority over other South American teams? Vickery: Because today there is a huge separation between domestic football and national team football. The Colombian team, for example, has almost no players playing in Colombia. The same goes for Paraguay, Ecuador and several other countries. Today, many of the best players in the Brazilian Championship are not even Brazilian. Therefore, the strength of the national league is no longer automatically reflected in the strength of the national team. BBC News Brasil: You have a deep understanding of Argentine football. How do Brazilians and Argentines compare to their national teams? Vickery: Argentina has a much more organic fan base. The team almost always plays in Buenos Aires, there is an audience that always follows it. In Brazil, as the team travels throughout the country, there is a constant effort to build this fan identity. But, deep down, the symbolic role of the selection is similar in both countries. Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay have transformed football into one of the main expressions of national identity. BBC News Brasil: If Argentina wins this World Cup and Messi maintains the level he presented in the first games, will comparisons between him and Pelé grow? Vickery: Without a doubt. Outside of Brazil, this would probably cement the idea that Messi has surpassed Pelé. Personally, I would still choose Pelé. Pelé helped turn the World Cup into the biggest sporting event on the planet. All of us who experience football live, in a way, in a house that Pelé built. At the same time, what Messi does at 39 years of age also needs to be valued. The problem is when this debate becomes a dispute to diminish one of the two. Anyone who loves football loves Pelé and loves Messi. Point.