ESPN Network:
ESPN.com
ESPN Deportes
Fantasy Games
|
|
|
| Thursday, May 9, 2002 21:53 EST |
Brazilian star says he can't accept coach's explanation
[Reuters]
RIO DE JANEIRO -- Veteran striker Romario
says he cannot understand why he has been left out of Brazil's
World Cup squad and believes his reputation for being
indisciplined is undeserved.
Breaking his silence for the first time since Brazil's squad
was announced on Monday, Romario said on Thursday he could not
accept the explanation offered by coach Luiz Felipe Scolari that
his absence from last year's Copa America was to blame.
"I can't believe that not going to the Copa America has
stopped me from going to the World Cup," said Romario, a member
of the team which won Brazil's fourth world title eight years
ago and who had been dreaming of a swansong at the age of 36.
"Other players didn't go to the Copa and were picked again,"
added the diminutive striker, whose absence from the team has
become a national talking point.
Romario said: "I don't need tears or words to convince
anyone. I am who I am. I just want to say that I'm not
indisciplined. I'm a normal player and I adapt to any group. You
just have to look at my history in the national team.
"It would be better if I were there, but I'm going to get on
with my life. My conscience is clear, I'm going to get on with
my business here and I hope he (Scolari) does the same there."
"Now, I'm going to look for strength with my parents, my
wife, my children and my friends."
Scolari said this week that Romario's failure to travel to
Colombia for last year's Copa had a big influence in his
omission from the World Cup squad.
Brazilian media have long claimed that Scolari was enraged
after Romario asked to be left out of the Copa squad to have an
eye operation, only to go on tour to Mexico with his club Vasco
da Gama and postpone the surgery.
Romario, however, said he thought there were other reasons
for his omission.
"The real reason for me not being picked will appear one
day," he told reporters during practice with Vasco da Gama.
"But as he (Scolari) says, I am no use technically or
tactically in his concept. He's made his choice.
"I think one day this will hurt some people's consciences.
They know I could be in the group but I'm not, for a reason
which I don't know."
"I consider myself a player who is good enough to be in the
group which is going, but the coach doesn't. I did everything to
be in good shape, physically and technically."
Romario said he did not believe he had a chance of being a
last-minute replacement if another player became injured.
"I don't think that's likely because it would be incoherent
on his part. I think it's over as far as I'm concerned."
Romario played in Scolari's first game as coach, when he
captained the team in a 1-0 defeat by Uruguay in a World Cup
qualifier, but has not been picked since despite averaging more
than one goal a game in club soccer this year.
Brazil has been greeted with chants of "Romario, Romario"
during home matches this year but not that, nor a tearful
outburst by the striker during an interview last month, was
enough to persuade Scolari to change his mind.
Romario, who makes no secret of his aversion to training nor
for his love of nightlife, said that at least he would be able
to maintain his lifestyle rather than be subjected to Scolari's
rigid rulebook.
Asked if he would watch Brazil's games, which will be played
either in the middle of the night or the crack of dawn local
time, he said: "I think it's going to be difficult for the games
which start at 3 o'clock in the morning.
"But I should see the games which are shown at six o'clock
as I'll be arriving home at that time."
|
|
|
|
|
|
