Brazil’s New life without Neymar!
Rio de Janeiro, Jan 11 (EFE). –
Dorival Junior, who took over as Brazil’s new coach this Thursday, denied that he has a personal problem with Neymar but insisted that the team has to learn to play without its biggest star as the Al Hilal striker was nursing an injury.
“Brazil has to learn to move forward without Neymar, considering that he is injured, although we also have to know how to take advantage of who is considered one of the three best footballers at the moment,” said the strategist after signing the contract that makes him Brazil coach until the end of the 2026 World Cup.
According to the new Brazil coach, Neymar is an essential player as long as he is not injured and is in good condition.
The striker was injured in a match with the Brazilian team last year and was not expected to return to competitive football until August.
It means he will miss at least four friendlies for Brazil, including one against England, Spain, and Mexico, and this year’s Copa America in the United States.
The coach, one of the most successful in Brazilian football in recent times, also spoke about his problem with Neymar in 2010 at Santos, which cost him his job as coach.
The coach downplayed the incident when he attempted to correct the attacker’s discipline, prevented him from taking a penalty, and threatened not to let him play a game.
Santos preferred to support Neymar, then 18 years old, and terminated the contract with the coach, who had won them two titles and a place in the Libertadores and had a record of 37 wins and 8 draws in 61 games.
“I have no problems with Ney. The situation had greater significance than we expected without any need, but we continued talking from that moment on. Santos made a decision that I respected. But I never had any problems (with Neymar). All the times we met, I was always very positive,” he said. EFE
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