Alisson: I don't understand those who repeatedly question Brazil, it won't shake my confidence

Alisson attended the Brazilian national team's pre-match press conference, where he discussed his feelings about participating in his third FIFA World Cup, the changes in the team since Ancelotti's arrival, external doubts about him, the Brazilian team's defensive issues, and the significant influence of Taffarel on his career.

I'd like to ask about the Brazilian team's defensive system. The team has conceded goals in several consecutive matches. What do you think about this situation? How is the team preparing defensively now? What do you think is the reason for conceding consecutive goals? Is it a lack of understanding, or is it due to mishandling specific plays? For example, against Panama, one goal was a deflection. What do you think about Brazil's recent consecutive conceded goals? Have you done any special work to prevent similar situations in the FIFA World Cup?

Of course, we don't want that. As a goalkeeper, after a match, I am definitely the first person to be dissatisfied with conceding goals. I believe a team that wants to win must hate conceding goals and must be unwilling to let opponents score. Opponents must pay a heavy price to break through our goal. We are also building this mentality within the team.

These warm-up matches are inherently for preparation and testing, which is arranged by the head coach. I think perhaps two of the three goals we conceded could have been completely avoided. We have also discussed these issues and analyzed what could have been handled better at the time, including that free-kick goal.

But we also look at the positive side, because these problems occurred in warm-up matches, not the FIFA World Cup. This gives us an opportunity to correct the problems. Sometimes, if the ball deflects but doesn't go in, or if it doesn't result in a goal for other reasons, people might not pay as much attention. But when it actually leads to a goal, we must be vigilant.

Therefore, defense is very important in a short-format competition like the FIFA World Cup. We want to have a solid defense, to be a team that defends together, with everyone focused on not conceding goals. At the same time, we also know that the team has the ability to create chances. So this is a very important part. Conceding goals in warm-up matches makes us uncomfortable, but this is also part of our current adjustments for the FIFA World Cup.

I want to continue asking about the doubts we discussed earlier. Because whenever someone criticizes you or questions your starting position in the Brazilian team, De Bruyne's goal in the 2018 FIFA World Cup and your failure to save the penalty against Croatia are brought up again. Do these two situations still bother you? Do you feel uncomfortable when you think of these two FIFA World Cup-related moments? Do you think that only after you win the FIFA World Cup with Brazil will these things truly become a thing of the past in the fans' memories?

Regarding what happened in the past, I think football doesn't allow us to dwell on failures, setbacks, or even mistakes. In my opinion, losing a FIFA World Cup is not the responsibility of one player, but a collective responsibility of the entire team. Our responsibility here is shared. Of course, at some critical moments, we need players to step up. We have such players and such ability. At the same time, we must also acknowledge the strength of our opponents, which is also part of the game.

I don't know what those who criticize or constantly bring up these matters are thinking specifically. But these things don't bother me, nor do they shake my confidence. I know I am working in the right way and have always been very committed. I train hard, but sometimes on the field, things don't go exactly as we expect.

Football is not an exact science. If it were, perhaps we would have won more than five FIFA World Cups. So what is truly important is to continue working hard to improve what can be improved, objectively evaluate what can still be enhanced, and then, for the sake of this team, strive to be the best version of myself. The ultimate goal is to win. What makes me most uncomfortable, in fact, is that we didn't win the FIFA World Cup. For a goalkeeper, no matter whether a conceded goal was unavoidable, a thought always pops into my head: "If I had done something differently then, would the outcome have been different?" I think we must learn to live with these thoughts, firmly believe in our work, and believe that hard work will take us further.

Both I and other goalkeepers are capable of representing the Brazilian team, which is why we are here. We also have the trust of the head coach.

Speaking of emotions, I have a curious question. I know many Brazilian players like the NBA, and I wonder if you do too. This city is currently buzzing and infected with emotion because of the Knicks' consecutive comebacks. Have you been following these games? To some extent, do you get any inspiration from them?

I've seen quite a few people on the team following it. I haven't watched it very seriously myself, but I do pay attention occasionally. I think anything can be helpful, as long as it has value to us. Like these comebacks, if we can learn something from them, it's meaningful.

But as I said, our focus is still very much on what we, as a team, can do on the field. Psychological and emotional factors are very important. I think our team has a very good balance between experienced players and young players, and also a good balance between passion and being grounded. I think this is a positive factor for the team. We hope to be a stable team in this team atmosphere, truly striving for victory and competing for the championship.

You just said that football is not an exact science. Precisely because of this, we cannot ignore that the current Brazilian team is not considered one of the main favorites to win the championship by outsiders, possibly ranking after teams like Spain, France, and Argentina. But at the same time, the Brazilian team wears the most prestigious jersey in world football, being the only national team to win the FIFA World Cup five times. On the other hand, the team now has a coach who has managed in top leagues for a long time, has won the Champions League five times as a coach, and is recognized for his ability to manage star players. I want to ask you, what does the combination of Ancelotti's stature and the prestige of the Brazilian jersey bring? Also, can you talk about Ancelotti's calm leadership style? He recently published a related book. What do you think of his leadership style? Is he a resilient and humble person?

I think he is resilient and humble. He is very smart and knows what to say at the right time. He is a very good manager and also has a very clear football philosophy. His approach is simple and direct, which makes our way of playing easier to execute. I think these factors combined help the team and the entire group. In selecting players, he may also consciously combine them, hoping to achieve this effect.

As for being a favorite, it doesn't guarantee any team will win the championship. Sometimes, being a favorite means greater pressure and responsibility. We certainly know the weight of the Brazilian jersey, and we understand that it is a huge responsibility. But at the same time, it is also a privilege and a joy.

The head coach also brings this feeling to us. I can feel that he is happy and grateful to be the coach of the Brazilian team, to be the leader of this team. He has won many championships, but still maintains this passion. I think you can also see it in his expression, and we players can feel it too.

He has won everything in the football world, and now he comes to the Brazilian team with joy and passion. Of course, the pressure of this position might be even greater than being a national president to some extent. But I think these factors, these role models, help our motivation. On the field, execution is still the responsibility of the players. I see that this team has the qualities needed to be a successful team. We are very grounded and calm, and we don't put unnecessary pressure on ourselves.

I think we need to have expectations for this tournament and actively build this confidence. We hope that the fans will stand with us, and I believe they will support us. But within the team, we must also build this expectation and believe that we have everything it takes to become FIFA World Cup champions.

You talked about passion, and also about being grounded. In the past three cycles, one cycle was led by the same coach from beginning to end, while the other two cycles saw changes in the middle. You also talked about motivation earlier. Have these issues now been resolved in such a relatively turbulent cycle? Do past events still have an impact now? Will they affect the team's pursuit of the ultimate goal?

I still want to say, this is a choice. Whether it becomes a burden depends on each player's own choice. As a team, we choose to let these experiences make us stronger and unite us more. We cannot choose our environment, nor can we decide what happens around us, but we can control our decisions and decide how to face every situation. We choose to let these experiences become the driving force that propels us forward and unites us more.

Especially some of the more experienced players, who at certain moments have to bear responsibilities beyond just being players. We have built very good connections here. Many players are also about to participate in their second FIFA World Cup, which will help us and have a positive impact.

We choose to focus on this privilege, this joy, and the happiness of representing the Brazilian team in such an important event as the FIFA World Cup. We will continue to stay focused, remain grounded, and also be very clear about doing our best for the team and for this group. The most important thing is "us", what is truly important is always "us".

I want to ask about the importance of Taffarel to your career. Also, out of curiosity, you probably don't have much memory of the 1994 FIFA World Cup, as you were only two years old then. But did you watch the 1998 semi-final against the Netherlands? Do you remember it? Also, talk about the importance of Taffarel to your career.

I do remember. I think I've said it many times. I was six years old then, and that semi-final against the Netherlands left a very deep impression on me. This is related to my father, because he made a joke at the time. When Taffarel saved the penalty, my father was very excited and played around with us, taking a piece of cake and smearing it on his face, it was like an orange cake. Perhaps because of my father's crazy act, that moment is so deeply etched in my memory.

For me, working with Taffarel is a privilege. He has always been my idol, inspiration, and role model, not just for me, but for many Brazilians. Many Brazilians wanted to be goalkeepers when they were children. I think people of my generation, when playing in goal as children, would all shout "Taffarel."

So, he is very important to me. He is like a mentor. He keeps us calm when we are emotional. Of course, we are happy about achievements, but we must also remain moderate; and in difficult and low times, he will also be there to support us.

He is important not just to me, but to all goalkeepers who come to the Brazilian team. He left behind more than just his achievements as a player. As a player, everything he did will not change and will be remembered forever. But perhaps many people have not truly seen the importance of Taffarel as a goalkeeping coach. He has always been one of the key figures helping me grow in the Brazilian team, and later at Liverpool. I believe that being able to maintain a high level for so long is also related to having an excellent goalkeeping coach like him.

There's also Marquinhos here, who is also an excellent person and helps us a lot, and always keeps us grounded. This is how the goalkeeper position is, it requires a lot of seriousness. You can't get too excited because of a few saves, and you must also have full confidence in your work. So, not just Taffarel, but all the goalkeeping coaches I have worked with have been very crucial to my development. From my youth academy days to becoming a professional player and being able to continue my career and maintain a high level, they have all been very important.