Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has jokingly poked fun at Neymar’s absence from the pitch at the ongoing FIFA World Cup, saying the football star is effectively “working remotely” while with the national team.
Lula made the remark during a public event in Belo Horizonte after being asked about the injured forward, who has yet to feature for Brazil in the tournament.
The 34-year-old attacker recently returned to training after recovering from a calf injury but missed Brazil’s opening draw against Morocco and was also left out of the squad for the clash against Haiti.
“Neymar is the first player in the world to be called up to the national team and be working remotely,” Lula joked.
The comment quickly drew attention from football fans, highlighting Neymar’s unusual World Cup situation as he remains with the squad but has not yet stepped onto the field.
Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti and his staff are reportedly taking a cautious approach with the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star to avoid aggravating his injury.
Neymar, Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 international goals, has struggled with fitness problems in recent years and has featured in only a limited number of matches for Santos this season.
Despite concerns over his fitness, the veteran forward was included in Brazil’s World Cup squad and is expected to play a role later in the tournament if fully recovered.
The Selecao will conclude their group-stage campaign against Scotland as supporters continue to wait for Neymar’s long-awaited return.
Source: AFP.
