Felipe Melo has quickly become an idol in Istanbul since joining Galatasaray on-loan from Italian side Juventus, and the midfielder, who has not played for Brazil since the Fifa World Cup quarterfinal defeat to the Netherlands in 2010, is still hoping for a recall to the Seleção.
Melo, 29, is currently in his second season on-loan at Galatasaray and has made such an impression that, when fans favourite Ardan Turan left the club to sign for Atletico Madrid, the supporters requested the Brazilian take his vacant number 10 jersey.
Despite Melo’s good form in Turkey, he is yet to speak to national team coach Mano Menezes about a return to the squad, but still hopes make the Seleção for the Fifa World Cup in Brazil in 2014.
He told Globo Esporte: “I talk to some fellow players in the team, now less often, but whenever I talk to Kaka I confess that remains my goal. But I do not chase the squad. I have a cool story. I won a title (the Confederations Cup in 2009), never spent time on the bench and played several games with just one loss. The team had not won in years against Argentina in Argentina and we won against Messi and everyone.
“I have stories to tell to my grandchildren. Of course I have the dream of being world champion, but I confess that today my trust is in God. I trust God and I give him my dreams. I know that if it is His will, my chance will come and I will be in the squad. If it does not come, I’ll keep working and honoring the shirt of the club where I am.”
