6/23/2023–|Last updated: 6/23/202306:56 PM (Mecca time)
Brazilian soccer star Neymar spoke about the possibility of the arrival of Italian Carlo Ancelotti at the head of the “Selesao” and his desire to defend once again the shirt of the Santos club, which was included in its ranks, during an event he held in Praia Grande near Santos.
In a 10-minute interview with the Brazilian “Bandsports” channel, on the sidelines of an auction organized by his foundation, the 31-year-old Paris Saint-Germain striker mentioned his absence from the stadiums for a long time since the surgery he underwent on his ankle on March 10.
Neymar said, “It is horrible to be denied matches, to be injured. I like to play a lot, to be on the field. When that’s not the case during a game, it’s really hard. So, imagine this going on for 4 to 5 months.. awful. I miss her, I was born to play football.”
When asked about the criticism and the pressure he faces, he said, “I have never shy away from my responsibilities, in fact the opposite is true.”
He added, “I know my talent, and I know what I am capable of. Football is not an individual sport. If it was individual, I would have already achieved all my goals, but this is not the case. As for off-field criticism, I disagree sometimes because it relates to my personal life and doing what I want.
And about his future with his country, the striker, who scored 77 goals in 124 international matches, admitted that he would like to be present in the 2026 World Cup, while he hopes to take over the technical affairs of Ancelotti, the current Real Madrid coach, who is scheduled to arrive in June 2024.
He said, “It is the first plan for the national team, the president (Edinaldo Rodrigues) wants to count on him and we, the players, also want him. For me, for Vinny (Vinicius Junior) and (Eder) Militao… we already know him, we know his greatness. Having him on the team will be very important. But nothing has been confirmed yet. We hope he will join the national team at the end of his contract (with the Royal Club).”
The Brazilian Football Confederation had indicated earlier that it was ready to wait for Ancelotti’s contract with Madrid to expire in 2024 to contract with him to supervise the 5-time world champion, provided that a temporary coach takes over the technical duties during this period.
