According to Davi, the Gaúcho side sent a report of the player’s injury, sustained whilst in Argentina with the national side, to the Brazilian Federation (CBF) who refused to release the player for recuperation.
Damião is part of the Seleção called by Mano Menezes for the upcoming fixtures with Iraq and Japan, to be played in Sweden and Poland on Thursday and Tuesday respectively.
“We don’t want to undermine the CBF, but Damião wanted to stay here for treatment,” he told Radio Bandeirantes. “It never occurred. We got in touch and sent the reports, but they wouldn’t release him.”
Damião missed Internacional’s important league encounter with Santos on the weekend due to the injury.
The incident is the latest in a spate of clubs coming out to criticise the CBF over their treatment of national team players. Only last month, Santos appealled to the Federation for Neymar to be rested for upcoming international fixtures – a plea that fell on deaf ears.
