Adenor Leonardo Bacchi, commonly known as Tite, the Brazilian head coach, has named Neymar of Paris Saint-Germain as his team’s most important player ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar later this year.
Tite stated this while clarifying his position on the Neymar vs. Vinicius debate, confirming that the former Barcelona star remained his top player.
Neymar had a disappointing season in 2021-22, scoring only 13 goals and providing eight assists in 28 games across all competitions for PSG, while Vinicius helped Real Madrid win the Champions League and LaLiga.
Speaking to the Guardian, Tite said, “Neymar is Neymar. He remains our biggest star. The difference now is that the glow is diluted by nearby stars that can also shine.
“Neymar’s greatness is that he understands this – about the growth of these kids. He encourages the boys to go up a level. Time and experience provide this maturity.”
He added: “We reached the World Cup; now it’s time to reach the final and be champions. This is the truth.”