Former Middlesbrough star Juninho urges Brazil to follow Germany’s lead

A World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002, Juninho Paulista has praised the German national side and said that their example should be followed by Neymar & co if they hope to return to the summit of world football. Writing for Lance!Net, the 41-year-old said that the World Cup trophy could not be in better […]
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sambafoot_admin
2014-07-14 20:15:00

A World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002, Juninho Paulista has praised the German national side and said that their example should be followed by Neymar & co if they hope to return to the summit of world football.

Writing for Lance!Net, the 41-year-old said that the World Cup trophy could not be in better hands.

“The Germans demonstrated exemplary objectivity and organisation throughout the tournament.

“This was all down to the great work done by Joachim Löw, who knew how to implement an intensive playing style and has Germany’s main strength the way in which they work together. They have some special players, of course, such as Schweinsteiger and the tireless Philip Lahm. However, the whole team knows how to play properly and, principally, move without the ball.”

The former attacking midfielder enjoyed three successful spells at the Riverside Stadium and also represented Atlético Madrid and Celtic during his time in Europe.  After starting out at São Paulo, he also played for Vasco da Gama and Palmeiras in his native Brazil.

“The German way is an example of what Brazilian football should strive to achieve. I sense that we have regressed mentally. When we see that some of the best players in the Brazilian league are foreigners, then we know something is wrong. The disastrous way that the World Cup ended for us serves as an alarm bell and we should take this opportunity to look at the roots of the problem.

“I think that this is a long-term project, and we won’t see the results of it at the World Cup in 2018. However, we need to be patient, like Germany was. We haven’t lost the ability to create stars! We should, however, create players who know how to be objective and play in a way that will widen the eyes of world football.”