Chilean FA president opens up after talks with Flamengo's Pulgar | OneFootball

Erick Pulgar was once again left out of the Chile national team

Erick Pulgar remains out of the Chile national team, despite the great form he is showing at Flamengo. The defensive midfielder decided not to take part in the friendlies against Canada, the United States, and Mexico, which will be played in North America during the next FIFA international window. So, the president of the local federation, Pablo Milad, spoke about the matter.

The executive, who heads Chile’s National Professional Football Association (ANFP), revealed details of a conversation he had with Erick Pulgar. According to the official, the player was deeply hurt by the criticism he received during his time with the national team.

WHY ISN’T ERICK PULGAR IN THE CHILE NATIONAL TEAM?

Erick Pulgar’s decision to remain away from the Chilean national team involves personal reasons. According to Pablo Milad, Flamengo’s midfielder was upset by the way he and his family were treated.

“These are personal decisions. I respect Erick’s decision,” said the ANFP president during an event with a sponsor of the Chile national team on Tuesday (15).

Milad then explained that he spoke directly with the midfielder. The official said Pulgar told him he had been shaken both by criticism from the press and by the reaction of the fans.

— I spoke with him personally. He was deeply hurt by the press, by people, and by the impact on his family caused by the fact that he did not perform as expected. He was also very affected by the way people treated him and his family — he explained.

“He always had the conviction and the desire to do the best he possibly could for the Chile shirt. These are personal decisions, and we respect them,” Pablo Milad concluded. Earlier this week, Erick Pulgar posted a message on social media opening up about the issue.

SO WHAT DID PULGAR SAY, AFTER ALL?

“Regarding the different versions that have circulated in recent days about my situation with the Chilean National Team, I want to make one thing very clear in a very simple way: everything is fine with Nicolás Córdova. He came to see me a few weeks ago and I welcomed him very well. I have respect for him and for his work.Throughout my career, I have never been driven by praise or criticism. I have always tried to focus on my work, compete, and respond on the pitch, which is also why I do not usually comment on every piece of information or speculation that appears about me.Yes, I would like all the space that is currently being used to try to explain, based on assumptions, why I am or am not in a call-up, to also be used to give visibility to the young players who are being called up to the national team: who they are, where they come from, their stories, and the path they took to get there. There is a new generation that deserves support, space, and trust. That should be the focus today.”

PULGAR ON THE PITCH, THEN

With Erick Pulgar available, Flamengo face Independiente del Valle (ECU) this Thursday (17) in the second leg of the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals at the Maracanã. The match kicks off at 9:30 p.m. Brasília time.

IN SHORT, THE AUTHOR’S OPINION

— Very good news for Flamengo fans that Erick Pulgar will not wear himself out with long trips to North America. He is not a youngster, he is 32 years old, and he is a key player for Mengo to win titles at the end of the year — said Pedro Paulo Catonho, journalist at Coluna do Fla.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.