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Ligue 1: "Neymar knew how to do his self-criticism," says Dante

2020-07-07T07:00:17.695Z


The captain of Nice takes a relevant and lucid look at current events and predicts a happy European destiny for PSG. Worried about the aggravation


At the start of his fifth season with Nice, Dante, 36, declines a reasoned ambition. Very appreciative of Thiago Silva and Neymar, his Parisian compatriots, he was moved by the health situation in Brazil, the second country in the world most affected by the Covid-19. The words of this man of character, listened to and respected in the locker room, resonate and challenge.

How did you welcome the resumption of training?

DANTE. With great relief and much hope. After the difficult moments that we have all experienced in recent months, I was really happy to find the fields, my work and my passion. A roughly normal life in short. What was no longer allowed for long weeks has become possible again. This period also gave me time to reflect. She really showed us that we had to make the most of every second. It also helps to put things into perspective.

In everyday life, is it still complicated to live with the invisible presence of the virus?

It has to be, even if the situation is under control in France. While waiting for a vaccine, we must continue to surround ourselves with the necessary precautions. Neither should one be paralyzed by fear, nor be prevented from living. You just have to be vigilant to avoid a second wave.

Nice is proving to be very active on the transfer market with already 5 recruits. Is the club changing dimensions?

We are ambitious. Just look at the profile of new players and their quality to be convinced. Here we are more in the long term. The club does not do anything. We build step by step. Everything is thought out and reasoned. In football it is always dangerous to want to go too fast. We aspire to obtain the best possible results, to progress and to grow. We are going in the right direction.

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In a fairly young workforce, do you have a duty of transmission from the age of 36?

Always. The coach, on a daily basis, does not necessarily have the time to work on it. He must benefit from relays. There is nothing that makes you more proud than passing on your experience and seeing others progress. It is my role to instill in young people the desire for a job well done, the necessary motivation and to facilitate their learning of the trade. I live with them. I share a lot of things in the locker room or when going green. Pierre, Walter Kasper and Morgan now (Editor's note: Lees-Melou, Benitez, Dolberg and Schneiderlin) , will also help me.

Did you understand the final stop of the L1 when all the other major European championships have finally resumed?

The Prime Minister made a reasonable and respectable decision. I said it at the end of April and I still believe it today. He thought of the people. He looked for ways to improve the situation of the French. Finding a solution to play football seemed secondary. There have been many deaths and many families have been left in mourning. In this context, why the footballers, who are already privileged, would have benefited from tests in order to exercise their trade, when other people, in much more precarious situation, were not authorized there and lost their job. It wouldn't have made any sense. And in terms of image, it would have been catastrophic. I would never trade people's health for a European title or place.

Should football now reinvent itself?

I hope, at least, that this crisis will raise collective awareness. We had arrived at a rather incomprehensible situation with dizzying sums. Indecent. Clubs may understand that transfers don't have to be that big. As for footballers, especially the youngest, they will no doubt realize that they can live well with less substantial wages, especially at the start of their careers. Here we touch on questions of education and values. If some people, instead of thinking about the amount they have cost and the salary they will earn, can already rediscover the love of their sport, everyone will come out better.

You have no doubt followed the news of PSG. What did you think of the non-extension of the contract of your compatriot and friend Thiago Silva?

I'm not inside the club. So I don't know what's going on there. Thiago is a beautiful person and a great captain. He is still one of the best in the world at his post. He has so many strengths. All the clubs on the planet would like to have it in their membership. We can regret seeing his story at PSG end thus. But he still has 3 trophies to conquer, including the Champions League after which he has been running for so many years.

In recent seasons, his supposed lack of character has however been pointed out. Have we sometimes been too hard on him?

We tended to make him responsible after each PSG defeat. He may have had moments of weakness like a collective. From this observation, people have no doubt formed a bad opinion about it. Everyone can make errors of judgment. You just have to have the intelligence to recognize it. Thiago has marked the history of this club. It remains obvious.

Can the change of format of the Champions League prove beneficial for Paris next August?

No club yet qualified stands out. It can be a good year for PSG. I put a play on Paris and Bayern (note: where he played from 2012 to 2015) . Before learning about the change of formula, I already imagined getting to the final. The qualification against Dortmund showed the resources of this team. Led by Neymar, she has a good card to play.

Can Neymar finally prove to be the providential man for Paris in his European quest?

We know its qualities. Paris without Neymar is very strong and can beat any team. But with him, Paris is even more efficient. He has reached a milestone. With repeated injuries, he has experienced things that are not easy, but he has a lot of personality and character. He knew how to do his self-criticism to improve himself further and think collectively. It can also be felt in his more fluid relationships with his teammates. We have a truncated image of him. This boy is extraordinary. He deeply loves the game. On a field, he exudes joy.

Are you worried about the acceleration of the pandemic in Brazil?

The daily numbers of contaminations and deaths are frightening. Far from stabilizing or regressing the curves panic. The Brazilians relax. They are much more unruly and less and less united. I fear that we will not get out of it and that we will face a real health disaster.

However, since June 18, the Rio championship has resumed…

It is bullshit. A real scandal. Flamengo players play at Maracana. Outside the stadium, a field hospital has been set up in the parking lot, where Brazilians die during the matches. No great voice in Brazilian football has risen to denounce this situation. I deplore it.

Do Jair Bolsonaro and his government seem up to you?

They sail on sight. Sad to say, but it is reality. When the president favors the social over health, shows fierce opposition to containment measures and encourages people to leave their homes, there is cause for alarm and asking a lot of questions. Many Brazilians do not live, they survive without knowing what tomorrow will be like.

Source: leparis

All sports articles on 2020-07-07

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