Xinhua News Agency, Rio de Janeiro, June 3 (reporter Zhao Yan) Brazilian national team coach tete expressed his opinion on the rape of striker Neymar for the first time on the 3rd. He said that he would not judge Neymar at present, the most important thing is to concentrate on playing America’s Cup. He thinks Neymar is indispensable in the national team, but it is not irreplaceable.
Brazilian media revealed on the 1st that a woman reported to the police in Sao Paulo, claiming that Neymar raped her in Paris on May this year, but Neymar’s father and press spokesman both thought the woman’s behavior was blackmail. That night, Neymar made a statement on his social media account that he was innocent and posted a mobile phone chat record, but because there were some indecent pictures of the woman in the record, brazilian cyber police involved in the investigation.
Tete revealed that he had talked to Neymar twice after the incident was disclosed by the media. Although he did not disclose the content of the conversation, he said at the press conference held at the training base of the national team on the 3rd: “I know the importance of this incident and also know that it is his personal business, it will take some time before the truth is clear, and I will not judge him. All I can say is that during the three years when Neymar and I cooperated together, we were always honest and true in dealing with personal events.”
When asked whether Neymar was an indispensable player, Tete said: “Technically, it is indispensable. We say indispensable is not equivalent to irreplaceable. He is indispensable to the overall quality of our team, but no one is irreplaceable at any time or in any position.”
Aidu, the coordinator of the Brazilian national team, said that the legal department of the Brazilian Football Association would assist Neymar in handling the matter. Edu said: “Considering the importance of the incident, the first thing I did was to look for legal counsel. This Saturday, we received the police and submitted the necessary information. I also told Neymar’s father that there was a lawyer team in the training base, and we would solve it as soon as possible so that Neymar could fully participate in the America’s Cup.”
At the same time that the press conference was held in Tete, the Brazilian anti-information crime police (cyber police) came to the training base and brought a summons asking Neymar to take a statement at the police station on Friday (7th), explain the incident of posting indecent photos of the woman who accused him on the Internet in order to prove his innocence.
The Brazilian Football Association requested to postpone Neymar’s arrival at the police station until next week, because the Brazilian national team will play the last warm-up match before the American Cup kick-off with Honduras on the 9th.