Barcelona accuses Ancelotti of bias towards Real Madrid

Barcelona are in a state of anger after Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti decided to keep winger Rafinha in the squad for the final round of 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia, despite excluding all Real Madrid players from the current international camp. Rafinha started Brazil's 3-0 victory over Chile last Thursday, playing 80 minutes in a match many considered inconclusive given Brazil's World Cup qualification bid had been secured since July. Despite Rafinha's physical exertion, Ancelotti decided to keep him for the upcoming match against Bolivia, which will be played at an altitude of over 4,000 meters above sea level, in one of the most challenging environments in international football. In contrast, Ancelotti gave a complete rest to a number of Real Madrid players, most notably Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, Eder Militao, and young talent Endrick. This raised questions in Barcelona about the principle of equality between players and the impartiality of the Italian coach, who left Real Madrid only a few months ago. Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo reported that this discrimination angered the Catalan club's officials, given that there was no technical need to include Rafinha in a match that would not affect Brazil's position in the qualifying table, as the team is in second place with 28 points, behind leaders Argentina, who have 38 points.