Dunga: Neymar plays if he deserves it

New Brazil Coach Dunga has laid down the law for the national team, telling Neymar he has to earn his place as much as everyone else.

Dunga has replaced Felipe Scolari, who left his post after the World Cup hosts finished fourth, losing 7-1 to Germany in the semi-final and 3-0 to the Netherlands in the third place play-off.

The former Brazil captain was in charge of the side between 2006 and 2010 and has criticised the behaviour of Barcelona pair Neymar and Dani Alves at the summer’s tournament.

Dunga was not impressed with the players’ decision to dye their hair, believing it was emblematic of a distracted atmosphere.

“I wouldn’t have allowed these players to die their hair while they were with the national team,” Mundo Deportivo reports Dunga as telling the Brazilian media.

“Either do it before or after, but they should be thinking about the World Cup.

“Neymar appears with a cap or without a cap. It should be [a Brazil cap]. We should be talking about what happens on the field.

“Neymar is a reference for the world. He won’t play based on who he is. He’ll play depending on the team.

“I didn’t like that the team came out with shirts in memory of Neymar [prior to the Germany game after Neymar was injured against Colombia].

“The message conveyed was ‘we lost a warrior’. But if we go to war we can’t keep crying. We can’t harm the soldier who takes their place.”

Dunga continued on the crying theme, taking a shot at David Luiz, MD claim, who was in tears at various points in the tournament.

“A scene of tears is wrong in the world of football. Maybe it’s sexist but men don’t cry. We need to learn respect,” he said.

Tags Brazil Dunga Neymar
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