Fluminense president Mário Bittencourt revealed that he articulated an attempt to take Neymar to the club to compete in the FIFA World Cup. The idea, he said, was not to take the player from Santos, but to sign a partnership between the two teams for the star to defend Tricolor in the international competition and then return to the fish.
“I did attempts, yes, to bring great players. I’m talking about Neymar. When I brought Thiago Silva, Marcelo, Fred, you don’t write a paper proposal and send. You contact you to know if the player has a desire to come to the club. If he doesn’t have another plan. “South Sector”.
Before talking to the staff, the president of Fluminense sought Santos to ask for permission. Then he had the help of Renato Gaúcho, tricolor technician and personal friend of the striker, to present the invitation.
“Being very honest, Renato Gaúcho is very friendly to Neymar. I spoke to him, I asked what he thinks to bring Neymar. He thought it is great, he spoke to Neymar. He was kind, elegant, and said to talk to his father. I called the president of Santos. He said he wanted to call. Play the World Cup, ”he said.
The plan provided that if it extended its contract with Santos, it was loaned to Fluminense during the World Cup period. The good relationship between club boards would help to make the agreement viable, which was eventually frustrated by the player’s option to focus on physical recovery.
“It would be something from Fluminense with Santos. If he continued in Santos, it would be the moment he would not play in Santos and would be representing us in the World Cup with the. The boards are friends. He was thinking, talking to the president of Santos,” he explained.
“There was a news for him walking to extend his contract with Santos. Even because he was Santos, he knows that the situation of the club is difficult right now. Yesterday afternoon showed everything I already thought of Neymar. In Facetime, he was from an education. He said he was a flattering, that it would be a dream to play the World Cup, but that the career project would be to use this month. Collecting, ”he added.
Neymar’s attempt was not President Tricolor’s only bold onslaught. Bittencourt also revealed that he probed Cristiano Ronaldo’s situation to the World Cup through a conversation with a businessman linked to Jorge Mendes, a historic agent of the Portuguese star.
“Speaking again in the idea, in project, I have a relationship, which is not close, but I call and answers me, which is Jorge Mendes. It was the manager of Cristiano Ronaldo all my life, today is not. André’s manager is also very friendly of Jorge.
“He was very clear to me and said he has no interest in playing in Brazilian football. I said that Fluminense has the colors of the Portuguese flag, it would be nice to play in Brazil, it would be a dream for our fans. To say that we put proposal on the table (not it was). I heard from some players that what is scaring with the violence of Rio de Janeiro. Bittencourt.
