SOCCER-RONALDO/INTERVIEW Ronaldo says Neymar is the right choice for Brazil captaincy

Record ID: 184314

  • Title: SOCCER-RONALDO/INTERVIEW Ronaldo says Neymar is the right choice for Brazil captaincy
  • Date: 19th November 2014
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (NOVEMBER 18, 2014) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** FORMER BRAZILIAN SOCCER PLAYER RONALDO AND TENNIS PLAYER RAFAEL NADAL WALK ON TO STAGE NADAL AND RONALDO SHAKE HANDS CROUPIER SHUFFLING DECK OF CARDS NADAL AND RONALDO PLAYING POKER (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER BRAZILIAN SOCCER PLAYER RONALDO SAYING: "That decision historically is made by the coach and the coach usually chooses players that have a lot of leadership. So it's between the players, it's between the coach, I can not say because I am not there anymore. "I think it's good to have Neymar in great form and Thiago Silva is a great captain too, so I think it's not a problem at all." RONALDO PLAYING POKER BADGE ON RONALDO'S SHIRT (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER BRAZILIAN SOCCER PLAYER RONALDO SAYING: "You know it's early to see any change in the Brazilian team. It was very difficult and hard to forget about the World Cup and the loss against Germany, we will see. "I know Dunga has a very hard job to do to bring some confidence to the players and very soon we have Copa America and in four years another World Cup so we will see if something changes with Dunga." RONALDO AND NADAL PLAYING POKER (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER BRAZILIAN SOCCER PLAYER RONALDO SAYING: "I think Cristiano Ronaldo is going to win again, he's doing very good, he's doing very well and he's still scoring a lot of goals. I think (Lionel) Messi is still very good but this year he's not so fantastic as always, but we will see." RONALDO AND NADAL PLAYING POKER
  • Embargoed: 4th December 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA25SJMOZSPAPS8HDLEW99T0ZZO
  • Story Text: Dunga has made the right choice in appointing Neymar as captain but Brazil's new coach has a tough job on his hands after a disastrous World Cup campaign, according to their former striker Ronaldo.
    Dunga, whose real name is Carlos Bledorn Verri, came under fire from World Cup skipper Thiago Silva after the Paris St Germain defender accused the Brazil coach of not telling him Barcelona forward Neymar had replaced him as captain.
    But two-time World Cup winner Ronaldo, who scored 62 goals in 98 matches for Brazil, thinks the 22-year-old will prove to be a good leader for the South Americans.
    "I think it's good to have Neymar in great form and Thiago Silva is a great captain too, so I think it's not a problem at all," the former Real Madrid striker said at a Poker Stars event in London on Tuesday (November 18) where he played against tennis player Rafeal Nadal.
    The whole of Brazil was left in a state of shock after their humiliating 7-1 World Cup semi-final loss to eventual champions Germany, while the 3-0 third-place playoff defeat by the Netherlands did nothing to lift the country's spirits.
    However, Dunga, who replaced Luiz Felipe Scolari as coach in July, has overseen six consecutive victories since taking charge, with their last outing a 2-1 win over Austria on Tuesday.
    Dunga previously coached Brazil from 2006 to 2010, where he won the 2007 Copa America and the 2009 Confederations Cup, but he was sacked by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) after losing to the Netherlands in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup.
    Having seen Dunga get dismissed from the role once before, Ronaldo admits the 51-year-old faces a battle to reignite a side scarred by their poor World Cup showing on home soil.
    "You know it's early to see any change in the Brazilian team. It was very difficult and hard to forget about the World Cup and the loss against Germany, we will see," said Ronaldo.
    "I know Dunga has a very hard job to do to bring some confidence to the players and very soon we have Copa America and in four years another World Cup so we will see if something changes with Dunga."
    The final three candidates for the FIFA Player of the Year, officially known as the Ballon d'Or, will be announced on Dec 1 with the award ceremony taking place in Zurich on Jan 12, and Ronaldo, who won the prize in 1997 and 2002, thinks Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo should be the victor for a second year running.
    "I think Cristiano Ronaldo is going to win again, he's doing very good, he's doing very well and he's still scoring a lot of goals. I think (Lionel) Messi is still very good but this year he's not so fantastic as always, but we will see," he said.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register