Manager Tite has come under fire from former Brazil midfielder Neto for selecting Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli for the World Cup in Qatar.
Insisting that Martinelli as a player hasn’t accomplished anything in club football and that Arsenal isn’t even competing in the Champions League, he called the choice a “joke” and a “disgrace.”
Martinelli, age 21, was a member of Tite’s team when it was announced for the competition earlier this week.
On November 24, Brazil takes on Serbia in the opening match of Group G. They then play Switzerland and Cameroon.
Former Brazil international Neto, who currently presents the television program “Os Donos da Bola” in Brazil, said: “This is a tragedy, this is a farce.
“This demonstrates a group that frequently causes you to feel humiliated. Not because of the Dani Alves scandal, I feel humiliated. What is the tale of Martinelli? Martinelli has 33 career goals; what is his background? This is shameful.
This disrespects football and demonstrates how filthy it is.
The worst of all the call-ups, in my opinion. Calling Martinelli demonstrates that you, Tite, shouldn’t be in your current job because you aren’t being fair to Gabigol.
What did Martinelli accomplish in European soccer? Not even in the Champions League is Arsenal. This is a catastrophe. The biggest shame, indeed.
