The five-time champion Ronaldo Fenômeno, 46, who closely followed the defeat of the Brazilian team against Croatia last Friday (9), says that the team lacked “craftiness” while he was on the field. The speech took place during a press conference at the Raffs Doha hotel, where he is staying.
According to the retired player, the athletes should have “held the game”, when Brazil opened the scoring with a goal by Neymar.
“I think there was a lack of that trickery that is also our characteristic”, he says. “Somehow the selection had to have this trickery more of holding the ball, perhaps not taking so many risks up front and making [mais] nothing happened in that game”, added Ronaldo.
The team was eliminated in the penalty shootout in the quarterfinals at Cidade da Educação stadium. Brazil conceded a tying goal three minutes from the end of extra time after taking a counterattack in which more than half of the team was not defending.
Neymar himself was caught complaining about the team’s attitude at a time when it was enough to manage the result. Petkovic’s goal was the first conceded by the Brazilian team in overtime at the World Cup.
In the quarterfinals in Qatar it was the second time that Brazil lost a World Cup penalty shootout. Before that, it had been defeated by France in the same phase in 1986. Against Chile (2014 round of 16), Netherlands (1998 semi-final) and Italy (1994 final) the selection won.
After the defeat, Tite confirmed his departure from the Brazilian national team. The coach had already pointed out that that would be his last dispute alongside the green and yellow team. “A painful defeat, but at peace with myself. End of cycle”, he said.
Ronaldo also pointed out that the best option for the Brazilian team is a foreign coach. The CBF has no tradition of putting technicians who are not born in the country to lead the team.
“I would love for it to be a foreigner, to break this taboo that a foreigner would have nothing to add to the Brazilian team,” he said moments before starting the press conference.
He recalled that in the last World Cups the green and yellow team has been losing to European teams and, therefore, considers the idea of having a coach born in the continent a “good move”.
“There are big names in the market. I think [Carlo Ancelotti] it would be incredible, Mourinho would be spectacular, Pep Guardiola is impossible because he just renewed. But I’ll be waiting “, he pointed out. He also pointed out that the current coach of Palmeiras, Abel Ferreira, would also be a good alternative.
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