Gabriel Martinelli was a surprise inclusion in the Brazil squad for Qatar 2022 World Cup and it is causing some problems back in his country.
The attacker has grown from a little-known player in the lower divisions of Brazilian football to become one of the key men for Arsenal.
As they sit atop the EPL table, his performance is one of the reasons they are considered serious title challengers now.
The attacker will hope to play a part in the competition, which kicks off in a matter of weeks.
However, back home some fans and pundits do not believe he should have been taken ahead of other attackers.
“This is a shame, a joke! I feel ashamed! Not because of Dani Alves’ story. What is Martinelli’s story? 33 career goals. This is a shame, a lack of respect for football. It shows how dirty football is, it’s dishonourable. It’s happened to me and you (Velloso) because we didn’t go to the World Cup because we didn’t play in Rio de Janeiro,” said a local journalist named Neto via ESPN Brasil.
“Doing this with football shows that you don’t deserve the position you are in. Calling up Martinelli and not calling up Gabigol is heresy, a lack of respect.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
The Brazilian national team managers know every player in their pool and what role they could play in the team.
If they find Martinelli better-suited for a role in it, that decision should be respected.
The Arsenal man now has to perform during the competition to justify his inclusion in the squad.