Brazil football team coach André Jardine hopes to select Neymar for the Tokyo Olympics and defend the country's gold medal in Rio in 2016, while admitting it will be "complicated".
"We want to be the strongest selection possible," Jardine said in an interview Thursday at the
Globo Esporte
portal
.
"Neymar is the main player of our selection and the main Brazilian player in activity," he continued, believing that selecting the PSG star would be "a very big leap in quality" for the Brazilian team.
"We understand that it is a complicated situation (...) It is a question which is beyond me as a coach", however admitted Jardine.
Neymar's nice collective goal against Montpellier
Paris Saint-Germain must agree
The possible presence in Tokyo of the 29-year-old Brazilian striker would only be possible if there is an agreement between the Brazilian Football Confederation and Paris Saint-Germain, who are not obliged to loan the player for a competition. not organized by Fifa. During the Tokyo Olympics, which will take place from July 21 to August 8, Brazil will be in Group D of the men's football tournament with Germany, Côte d'Ivoire and Saudi Arabia. Each country can summon 18 players, including three over the age of 24, and has until June 30 to do so. During the Rio Games in 2016, Brazil won the football tournament by winning on penalties against Germany (1-1, 5-4 tab). Neymar had scored the Brazil goal as well as the decisive penalty shootout.
"READ ALSO - The promise of Mbappé and Neymar to meet at the Tokyo Olympics
Neymar and Mbappé would have "promised" to meet at the Olympics
The competition seems important for Neymar, but also for his teammate at Paris Saint-Germain Kylian Mbappé.
According to the Brazilian journalist João Henrique, quite close to the Parisian attacking midfielder, the two men had promised to meet at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020: "Before the pandemic, they had promised to meet in Tokyo for the Olympics .
Neymar kept repeating to Mbappé: "We're going, we're going", "he told
France Football
last February.
But that was before the health crisis.
They should not be there this summer since the French, as revealed by
Le Parisien
, should not participate.
Will Neymar be allowed to defend his title?
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Mbappé and Neymar's promise to meet at the Tokyo Olympics