Brazil coach Dunga has not ruled out an unlikely recall for defensive midfielder Felipe Melo. Melo was a key part of Dunga’s side during his first stint as Seleção boss from 2006-2010. But since, the midfielder with a reputation for being overly aggressive has fallen out of favour. After an underwhelming spell in Italy with Fiorentina and Juventus, Melo spent four years with Galatasaray before accepting an offer to return to Serie A with Inter Milan this summer.
In an interview with Italian outlet Tuttosport, Dunga professed admiration for Melo’s bravery in returning to Italy, “I liked his decision to go to Internazionale and play with a great coach like Mancini. You cannot crucify a player for the past, as I learned when I played in Italy.”
On the subject of whether he would be prepared to reignite Melo’s international career, Dunga said, “Never say never in football.” Now aged 32, it seems unlikely that he will earn a reprieve at international level, yet 35 year old Ricardo Oliveira, 31 year old Robinho and 33 year old Kaka have all been welcomed back into the squad under his stewardship.
Melo has had a controversial career, with a plethora of yellow and red cards underscoring his aggressive style. He was also taken to court by a Fox Sports pundit back in 2013 for calling him “a coward and an arsehole” on facebook. He was also referred to Miami Police in 2014 when a player from Galatasaray’s main rival Fenerbahce saw him in a Las Vegas restaurant and handed him a napkin with ‘Sampiyon Fenerbahce’ or “Fenerbahce champions” on it. Melo responded by kicking out.
