Brazil coach Tite has admitted that his compatriot, Paris Saint-Germain attacker Neymar, is an essential component of the national squad but the 58-year-old insisted that his team can win without the superstar. Neymar skipped the 2019 Copa America, but Brazil triumphed over Peru, which should tell the striker can be replaced.
That observation came from the man in charge of Brazil, which is regarded as one of the most successful clubs in international competitions with five World Cup wins, since 2016. Tite said he remains a firm believer in what Neymar can do on the pitch, but the manager is equally convinced Brazil doesn't need to rely on the player.
"Neymar is essential, but not irreplaceable," AS reported the Brazilian boss as saying.
He added that the Neymar we see today with PSG is quite different from the younger version that flourished and won multiple titles with Barcelona. Tite suggested that the 28-year-old forward best served Brazil while still playing alongside Barca captain Lionel Messi, and things have changed since his exit from Camp Nou.
"The position where I found him performing best at a club, as in the national team, was when he played in Barcelona ... The best Neymar I saw playing was during this period. The level of play he reached then was exceptional and only [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo were above," the team manager explained.
Tite pointed out that Neymar's closest rivals at the moment, such as Antoine Griezmann, Eden Hazard, and Paul Pogba, were not even close to the level of football competence that the Brazilian displayed during his Barcelona spell.
Whenever Neymar plays for Brazil, his most significant contribution is the way the squad responds to his presence. Tite said the Brazilian superstar kicks up the level of competitiveness of his team, and the credit goes to the striker's unpredictability.
"He will offer you an individual or collective solution that others cannot, and with him, the potential of a team is not the same, because he will sparkle. The Neymar I am speaking of is the one who was within full mental and physical capacities," Goal reported the manager as saying.
"Neymar reassures you, because he brings unpredictability to your game," Tite added.
The head coach also shared that handling stars like Neymar and steering Brazil, which has a long tradition of winning, to greater success serve as a snowballing pressure on his part.
Tite admitted: "The responsibility is immense and each coach is faced with the same challenge."
