Ancelotti cites "technical decision" for Neymar's absence from the Seleção | OneFootball

Coach Carlo Ancelotti once again spoke about the absence of attacking midfielder Neymar from the Brazilian National Team squad on Wednesday morning, during a press conference at Granja Comary. The manager responded to the star’s comments on the matter.

Last Sunday, after the draw between Santos and Fluminense, Neymar stated that he is physically well and that he was left out of the squad due to a technical decision. Ancelotti agreed with the star and said that, in fact, it was a technical decision, also taking into account his physical condition.

“It’s normal. I believe that’s the truth, because it’s a technical decision based on many things. On what the player is doing, on what he has done. When I talk about the physical criteria, it’s something that the entire staff considers very important. The truth is that no one can question Neymar’s technical level. What we analyze is his physical condition, but also that of all the players here. This squad has a lot of competition,” said the Italian.

The Santos player was on the coach’s preliminary list, but was left out of the final squad. The coach chose to give opportunities to other players, in order to test them with a view to preparing for the World Cup.

Ancelotti stated that in today’s football there are few players who play as midfielders, Neymar’s position. The coach, however, believes he can find a solution with the group’s attackers, such as Estêvão, who he believes can also play centrally.

“Modern football has lost a bit of this type of player, who plays centrally as a midfielder. Modern football has more quick, strong wingers. Estêvão is this type of player. A winger with a lot of quality, but who can also play centrally. That’s what modern football demands now,” he said.

The coach is finishing preparations for the match against Chile this Wednesday, at Granja Comary. The match, valid for the South American Qualifiers, is scheduled for this Thursday at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time), at Maracanã.

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