The Brazilian head of state recommended that the Brazilian Federation (CBF) only use players from the Brazilian championship. “Here, in Brazil, you have good players of the same quality,” he said at the microphone of O Povo CBN radio in Fortaleza.
President Lula interferes in the affairs of the Seleçao. The historic leader of the left in Brazil, re-elected for a third term at the head of the country in January 2023, is worried about the health of the Auriverde selection, in difficulty in the South American qualifications for the 2026 World Cup.
In an interview with O Povo CBN radio in Fortaleza, President Lula attacked the stars of the team playing on the European continent, considering that they “are not better than those who are here”.
“I have been proposing for a long time that the Brazilian national team should have players who play in the country,” he said. “The two players who scored the goals against Chile play in the Brazilian championship (Igor Jesus and Luiz Henrique plays in Botafogo, Editor’s note). We must give opportunities to players from here, not to those who are invited from abroad, there is no Garrincha, nor Romario. has a lot of young people who, God willing, will succeed, but they are not stars yet Here in Brazil you have good players of the same quality.
President Lula says he barely recognized the stars of the team such as Ederson (Manchester City), Rodrygo (Real Madrid) and Marquinhos (PSG) in front of his television screen last Friday. “Raphinha (Barça)? I recognized him by his hair. I didn’t know the players, and that’s not possible. These days, I was with the president of the CBF in Brasilia and I told him said: ‘Why don’t you call a team composed only of players who play in the Brazilian championship?'”
Brazil has been going through a period of turbulence since the 2022 World Cup and the elimination of Neymar’s teammates in the quarter-final, against Croatia. Titus’ successors are all highly criticized. The last victory against Chile certainly allowed coach Dorival Jr to breathe a little but not necessarily to silence the criticisms falling on the Seleçao.
Brazil has lost four of its last six matches in the qualifiers for the next World Cup, even suffering three consecutive losses at the end of 2023, against Uruguay (0-2), Colombia (1-2) and especially Argentina (0 -1) at the Maracana. On this occasion, Brazil suffered the first home defeat in its history in qualifying for the World Cup.
The Copa America which saw Brazil disappear before the last four did not allow to chase away the doubts which escort this team at each of its appearances. It has even accentuated the fear of its leaders who, like President Lula, are sad to see it chasing its former glory without managing to reconnect with the pleasure it provided on the ground. In the absence of Vinicius (injured), who is still struggling to carry his team, Neymar’s creative genius is sorely missed in Brazil.
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