Brazil’s national team appointed ex-Sao Paulo manager Dorival Junior as their head coach on Thursday. The 61-year-old spoke to the press about Brazil’s prospects for the 2026 World Cup. Soon, Junior was asked about his prior feud with Brazil’s #10, Neymar during his Santos stint. The new coach quickly made it clear that he has “no problem with Ney.” Junior has not only softened his stance on the Al Hilal star but has also detailed how crucial of a player he is for the Brazil NT.

On the back of his ACL tear, Neymar could take time to reunite with Dorival Junior in the Brazil camp. Considering the manager’s recent admissions about his past feud with Neymar, the reunion will indeed be a happy one.

Dorival Junior asserts Neymar is one of the top three players in the world

Aware of Neymar’s terrible knee injury, Dorival Junior told the press that the Brazil team should ‘learn to play’ in the superstar’s absence. However, that does not mean the 61-year-old coach is preparing for a Neymar-less alternative altogether. “We have one of the three best players in the world right now. Neymar is a very important player, as long as he’s recovered, fit, and totally focused,” Dorival Junior said. (Translated by DeepL). Soon, Junior asserted that he had buried the hatchet with the Al Hilal star long ago.

“I have no problem with Ney. The situation (at Santos) has taken on proportions beyond what we expected, unnecessarily so,” Junior added. Furthermore, the ex-Santos boss remarked that every other meeting with Neymar had gone positive, despite the Santos incident. Though the player and the manager have long forgotten the feud, it will indeed remain an infamous episode in each other’s careers. Such intense was the disagreement and its immediate aftermath.

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How Junior and Neymar got into a feud

Neymar broke through as a teenager in Santos. However, the player faced flak from the then-Santos boss Dorival Junior for consistently missing penalties. Junior did not allow the superstar to take during a Santos-Atletico Goianiense match and angered the then-teenager. Neymar threw a tantrum on the field, openly arguing with Dorival Junior. The matchup got delayed. And, the rival boss even commented they are creating a ‘monster out of Neymar.’

3 Players Who Can Replace Neymar at Al Hilal After Injury Forced Brazilian’s Exile

Anyhow, Dorival Junior wanted to teach Neymar a lesson and suspended him for the next game. However, the drastic decision backfired on him. Santos’ next match was against the powerhouse Corinthians, and the former could not risk Neymar’s absence. Therefore, the club withdrew his suspension and sacked Dorival Junior! However, neither Neymar nor Junior held on to the beef. But they have never crossed paths like they are going to in the Brazil camp. Selecao fans will have to wait and see how the reunion of the former boss and disciple goes.

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