Gabigol focused on Cruzeiro, hits out at Tite and artificial pitch | OneFootball

Gabigol commented on his situation at Cruzeiro, his relationship with coach Tite, and also gave his opinion on the use of synthetic pitches in Brazilian football this Friday, during an interview on the PodPah podcast. The forward reinforced his commitment to the Minas Gerais club and explained the reasons that led him to choose the celestial project.

“There were other Brazilian and foreign clubs. Analyzing everything in the end, I believed that Cruzeiro was the right project,” said the forward.

Gabigol also denied any intention of leaving the club, even amid speculations during the season.

“Of course, in the middle of the year, there were teams that approached Cruzeiro, approached my agent. Leaving Cruzeiro was never an option for me,” he stated.

Relationship with Tite

When asked about his relationship with Tite, the new coach of Cruzeiro, Gabigol made a point of emphasizing mutual respect and collective focus.

“The situation is very clear. He is the team's coach, I have nothing against him. I gave my opinion, as he must have his. But we are here for Cruzeiro. It’s not about Gabriel or him, it's about the group, about Cruzeiro winning. I respect him as I respect all my coaches. He is the one in charge, and I am the player; whatever needs to be done to help Cruzeiro, I will do.”

Time on the field

Asked about the reduced playing time during the season, Gabigol explained the tactical choice of the coaching staff.

“I wanted to have had more minutes. It’s part of the coach's style. We play in a style that suits Kaio Jorge much more. I tried to adapt all year, tried to help in my best way, and I believe I did. But that’s part of football. I am the substitute for the top scorer in Brazil.”

“I took the penalty badly”

The forward also recalled the missed penalty against Corinthians in the Copa do Brasil semifinal when Cruzeiro took the match to penalties and was eliminated 5-4.

“If I score the goal, I am the chosen one. If I miss, I am the bum. I missed, I have to admit I missed. It was the first time I missed such a decisive penalty in my life. There’s no excuse. I took the penalty badly. Missing a penalty of that magnitude is not easy psychologically for a player.”

Synthetic pitch

Finally, Gabigol harshly criticized the use of synthetic pitches in Brazilian football.

“Synthetic doesn’t exist. In all the leagues in the world, synthetic is not allowed, only in Brazil. So is everyone else wrong, and only Brazil is right? It’s dangerous. They say it doesn’t hurt, but then you spend two days in ice. For me, it’s very complicated because I injured my ankle once, and then they say ‘you got injured on a natural field,’ but the field was bad. We are not fighting for a field to be just natural; it has to be natural and good. All teams should have one like the one in Itaquera. I don’t like synthetic, I think it’s horrible”.

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