Football is a matter of state in Brazil, and Neymar’s presence at the next World Cup is too. Almost all the current discussion around the Seleção revolves around the poisonous decision Ancelotti will soon have to make. As if the presence of the great idol of recent generations were the magic formula to solve all the problems of a national team that has gone 24 years without stitching a sixth star onto its shirt.
The pressure is growing as the moment of truth approaches, fueled by the player himself in a desperate attempt to be ready in time. And the Italian coach’s expression tightens more and more every time he is asked about it-which is almost daily. The fans, of course, are firmly on Neymar’s side and take every opportunity to show it to the former Real Madrid coach with chants in support of their idol. The noise will undoubtedly get louder in the coming days, especially after the defeat against France despite playing with a numerical advantage for almost the entire second half. This is the soundtrack Ancelotti will have to live with for months, without batting an eyelid.
“We should talk about those who were here, those who played, those who gave everything, those who stepped up and worked hard,” Ancelotti said when asked about the chants.
The problem is that Brazil’s dressing room largely agrees with the fans-and players say so openly when microphones are put in front of them. That ‘old’ unwritten loyalty among footballers to respect legends has become the strongest weapon in Neymar’s campaign to make the squad. No one points fingers at who should make way, but there is a sense that some would even be willing to give up their own place. Neymar has to be there, for whatever reason they choose: footballing, emotional, or even mystical.
That is precisely the issue raised by Dunga, former Brazil captain and national team coach, a respected voice when it comes to understanding how stars operate. “To go to a World Cup you have to be at least 80%. Technically, he’s spectacular. He’s not going to accept sitting on the bench. He’s competitive, he likes to win, and he wants to play. If Neymar goes to the World Cup, he has to play. It’s very difficult to leave a player of that caliber on the bench,” he said.
Now the dilemma belongs to Ancelotti, who dreamed of going down in history as the coach who led Brazil to a sixth World Cup, and is now fighting not to be remembered as the manager who refused to take Neymar to what would have been his last World Cup. If things go badly this summer, the absence of the fallen star will become the biggest nail in the Italian’s coffin when it comes to justifying failure.
Because for Brazil, only winning is acceptable. That is why they hired the most Champions League-winning coach in football history. What they did not tell him is that it had to be done with Neymar.
No matter what.
Read the full article here
