Carlo Ancelotti acknowledges that Vinicius Junior should not yet reach its best level with Brazil, but he believes that the attacker will soon replicate his Real Madrid form on the international stage.
Ancelotti takes the lead over the Selecao for the first time on Thursday, because they are confronted with Ecuador in a world cup qualification in Guayaquil.
Brazil then organizes Paraguay in Sao Paulo on Tuesday, in their first home game under Italian.
Ancelotti helped get the best out of Vinicius after his return to Madrid in 2021, with the duo won LaLiga and the Champions League twice.
Vinicius scored 90 goals and made 59 assists in 198 performances under Ancelotti in all competitions, on average 0.75 target involvement per game during play for the Italian.
He had managed 0.2 goals or assists per match among the predecessor Zinedine Zidane of Ancelotti.
Vinicius, however, has difficulty replicating his club form on the international stage, and only scored six goals in 39 performances for the Senior Team of Brazil.
During Copa America from last year, Vinicius took a reckless booking in the third group match of Brazil against Colombia, causing a suspension that meant that he missed their penalty -shooting defeat against Uruguay in the last eight.
But for his debut in international management, Ancelotti predicted that he will get the best out of the 24-year-old.
“I don't know if he has been here at his best, but he has time to do what he does at Real Madrid,” Ancelotti told reporters when he was asked about Vinicius.
“For us he is a fundamental player. We have to work to ensure that he performs at his best here.
“You will soon see the best version of Vinicius here with Brazil, the same as with Real Madrid. He is ready and motivated.”
The Champions League-winning Madrid teams from Ancelotti were famous for their ability to make the results against expectations, with Los Blancos launching a number of memorable fightbacks on their way to European glory in 2021-22 and 2023-24.
He believes that tactical organization and fighting are more important than a stylistic identity, especially at international level.
“I don't want a team with a clear identity. We have to defend well, whether it is 4-3-3 or 4-4-2. We have to defend together and use creativity with the ball,” he said.
“Individual quality is not enough today; you have to combine it with posture, drive and dedication.”