When the 28-man squad was revealed earlier this month, one of the surprises was the omission of Ronaldinho, who had begun to rebuild his career after a disappointing time at AC Milan. This included helping his Flamengo side to win their state championship, the Campeonato Carioca, as he scored the only goal in the final against Boavista in February.
He had also been in previous Seleção squads under the current boss, but Menezes explained why there was no place for the former Barcelona man this time. Speaking to Globoesporte, Menezes said: “Regarding Ronaldinho, it is generally agreed that it is not the best time for him. If he is going to rediscover his best form that depends only on Ronaldinho.
“The expectations when he moved to Flamengo were high, and so far the fans have not been happy with the end product,” continued the Brazil manager. “Therefore, if the fans become more pleased with his performances they are going to want him in the Seleção. If that happens and things change, the coach is also going to want him in the squad.”
Menezes also explained why Real Madrid’s Marcelo missed out on a place in the selection, adding “Let’s look at the question of the full-backs. You have to have balance on both sides. In Daniel Alves we basically have another forward, so you need to think of the formation of a team and think carefully about that.”
Brazil take on the Netherlands in a friendly on June 4 before playing Romania three days later. They then travel to Argentina for the Copa America in July, where they are in a group alongside Venezuela, Paraguay and Ecuador.
