Neymar named Brazil's permanent captain

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Brazilian head coach Tite named Neymar as the permanent captain for a second time, on the eve of Friday's international friendly match against the US in New Jersey.

"I accepted it again because I've learned a lot and I will learn a lot more. This responsibility will be a good thing for me," said the 26-year-old Paris Saint-Germain star who vowed to lead his teammates by example.

The announcement came less than two months after Neymar was heavily criticized for his exaggerated reaction to fouls during the World Cup in Russia.

He returned from a fractured foot just weeks before the tournament, scored twice in a campaign that ended with a quarter-final loss to Belgium.

Neymar falls down after being fouled during the 2018 FIFA World Cup group match between Serbia and Brazil in Moscow, Russia, June 27, 2018. /VCG Photo

"I was targeted for a lot of criticism and I didn't feel like speaking [to the media after the Belgium defeat]," Neymar said. "When I'm not feeling good, I prefer not to talk because silence is the best answer."

"I'm fast and light and sometimes I get fouled. Opponents won't let me go past them without trying to take me down."

Brazil's head coach Tite gestures during the 2018 FIFA World Cup quarter-final match between Brazil and Belgium at Kazan Arena in Kazan, Russia, July 6, 2018. /VCG Photo

Tite backed Neymar to flourish in the leadership role, saying the former Santos and Barcelona player is now a changed man.

"As time goes by people grow and mature," he said. "All of us are human beings and we evolve."

Neymar (2nd R) and his teammates celebrate winning their gold medals in men's football during the Rio Olympics in Brazil, August 20, 2016. /VCG Photo

Neymar's first-time two-year captaincy ended in 2016 when he led the Brazilian national squad to their first Olympic football gold medal during the Rio Games.

Back then, he said "I will send a message to Tite that from now he can look for another captain. Today I have become a champion and I give up the captain's armband. It was something I received and honored with affection."

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency