2nd June, 2014
Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari on Sunday criticized his World Cup hopefuls after a training session which he said “did not please me at all.”
Brazil take on Panama in their penultimate World Cup tune-up on Tuesday ahead of their final friendly with Serbia on Friday and Scolari said he was resting skipper Thiago Silva, Fernandinho and Paulinho.
Of the training session which had so displeased him, Scolari said: “I did not like training, I liked nothing. Everything was wrong,” stormed the man who took the Selecao to the 2002 title.
He told Globo television the players appeared too loose for his liking just 11 days before their first World Cup pool match against Croatia in Sao Paulo.
“When I don’t like things, I have to find a solution and field it on the pitch until I am satisfied,” said Scolari.
The training session saw the first-choice eleven beat the reserves 3-2 with Neymar on target for the former in front of watching actress girlfriend Bruna Marquezine.
Marquezine attracted much attention despite wearing a large hat and sunglasses as she happily signed autographs.
On his decision to leave Silva, Fernandinho and Paulinho out of the Panama test, Scolari had earlier explained Paris Saint-Germain’s Silva is “undergoing recovery work on his legs” as he gets over a niggling injury.
“We have two friendlies and it is preferable to field him in either better or perfect conditions from the second match,” Scolari told Fox Sports.
Paulinho of Tottenham lacks match fitness so Hernanes took his place in Sunday training.
Fernandinho is meanwhile coming off a heavy season at Premier League title winners Manchester City.