Carlo Ancelotti has singled out Martin Odegaard for praise ahead of Brazil's World Cup last-16 clash with Norway, admitting the Arsenal midfielder is a major threat despite once calling his signing a 'PR exercise'. The Brazilian national team manager, who previously coached Odegaard at Real Madrid, now faces the player he deemed surplus to requirements over a decade ago.
Ancelotti's past criticism of Odegaard
In his autobiography 'Quiet Leadership', Ancelotti wrote that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez bought Odegaard as a 16-year-old for 'public relations' purposes. 'When Florentino buys a Norwegian footballer, you simply have to accept it,' he wrote. '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 at Arsenal
Now 27, Odegaard has become a key player for Arsenal and Norway after loan spells at various clubs. Ancelotti acknowledged his growth in a pre-match press conference: 'We signed him when he was 16. Real Madrid, he was a really talented player, talented kid. I think he developed really well. It took time because he went to 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.'
Brazil's World Cup campaign
Brazil reached the last 16 after topping their group, then needed a last-minute goal from Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli to beat Japan. Martinelli is set to start against Norway, where he will face his club teammate Odegaard. Ancelotti admitted Odegaard is a major threat to Brazil's hopes, calling him 'one of the key players of Norway'. The match takes place this evening as Brazil aim to advance to the quarter-finals.
