“He is the one who needs the national team”

Among the names immortalized in the third World Championship in 1970, Eduardo Gonçalves de Andrade, known as Tostao, once again took a categorical position on Neymar and all the controversy surrounding him. The former player realizes that the current context of the number 10 in Santos reveals a technical and physical decline that may keep him away from the 2026 World Cup.

Tostao thought about the possibility of summoning the striker by Carlo Ancelotti, with the necessity of restricting Neymar, and not the absence of the Seleção. To defend his point, he compared the number 10’s conditioning to that of other veteran players in Brazilian football.

“If Neymar doesn’t change, Ancelotti will not call him up, even if he plays in every match. The Seleção does not need him the way he plays, he is the one who needs the Seleção. At 33 years old, “He looks like an older veteran on the field, unlike a lot of other players who are older than him.”

“In the 0-0 draw between Cruzeiro and Fluminense, goalkeeper Fabio, 45, and defender Thiago Silva, 41, were the standouts again. flu. Fabio remains agile and precise. Thiago Silva positions himself very well, anticipates movement and disarms without touching the opponent. “There is the structure…” Tostao wrote.

Neymar and modern football

The former Seleção player realizes that part of the sad end to the star’s career is also linked to the demands of the past decade in the sport. With football characterized by intensity and movement, Tostao believes the striker played in a limited manner, without active marking involvement. Which, in his view, becomes incompatible with the contemporary.

“In modern football, even for a great talent, it is not possible, in his position, to play in small spaces. Just waiting for the ball at his feet and without participating in marking. This is what has been happening with Neymar for years. He has not kept pace with the changes in the past decade.”

As a solution he suggested: “You need to improve your physical condition and behavior. Andrei said Kfoury“His time at Santos so far has been marked by absence, even when he plays.”

“Today, athletes have greater chances of having a long and successful career. In addition to technological resources and better physical preparation, they need the desire, pleasure and ambition to go beyond themselves. To play better every day. This is also the case with ageing,” he concluded.

Ancelotti demands better physical fitness

Tostao’s assessment is consistent with the recent statement made by Carlo Ancelotti, the coach of the Brazilian national team, to the Spanish newspaper AS. The Italian acknowledged the number 10’s talent, but expressed concerns about the striker’s physical condition and injury history.

“No one can doubt his talent, but he has been suffering from injuries recently. He has already returned to playing, but he needs to regain his best physical fitness. This is normal in today’s football, which is very physically demanding and intense,” the coach said.

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