Brazil has announced its latest squad for upcoming friendly matches, with Neymar omitted. Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti explained the reason for his exclusion during a press conference.
Ancelotti stated: “Neymar has a chance to participate in the World Cup. If he can reach 100% physical condition before the World Cup, he will be selected. As for why he hasn’t been called up this time? Because he hasn’t reached his optimal physical state yet, and I need players who are completely free from physical issues.”
“As I said, the primary principle for this call-up is to select players with qualified physical conditions to play. Regarding the final World Cup squad, we have other factors to consider. When we announce the final squad on May 18, we may call up some players who haven’t fully recovered, provided we believe they can adjust to their best condition before the World Cup. The preparation period by then will no longer be just 9 short days, but the 40 days we expect.”
“Neymar needs to continue training hard and playing seriously, demonstrating his talent while maintaining excellent physical condition.”
“This is a physical assessment, not a technical one. His performance with the ball is still outstanding. What he needs to do is improve his physical fitness and reach 100% competitive condition through hard training. This is not just my opinion, but also the consensus of the entire coaching staff. We will also continue to monitor his performance in the coming months.”
Ancelotti also revealed that the last time he met Neymar was in September last year: “At that time, I clearly told him that we have been paying attention to and evaluating his condition. I don’t want to comment too much at this stage because I hope to establish the same relationship with him as I have with other players.”
