While Messi is praised in Argentina, the problem Neymar caused for Brazil before Qatar

Brazil manager Tite has been accused of showing a “lack of respect for football” after his “joke” call-up of Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli for the World Cup in Qatar. Martinelli, 21, was playing in Brazil's fourth division during the 2018 World Cup in Russia but he has rocketed to superstardom in the Premier League and now finds himself as part of Tite's 26-man squad.

But the news was not well received by former Brazil midfielder-turned-broadcaster Neto, who labelled it a “calamity” and said Tite's “shame” at overlooking Flamengo star Gabigol in favour of Martinelli is proof he shouldn't be the manager in Qatar.  “This is a shame, a joke! I feel ashamed! Not because of Dani Alves' story. What is Martinelli's story? 33 career goals,” Neto said.

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“This is a shame, a lack of respect for football. Doing this with football shows that you don't deserve the position you are in. Calling up Martinelli and not calling up Gabigol is a lack of respect. The biggest shame of all the call-ups.” Neto continued with his furious takedown of the Arsenal youngster and added that “nobody knows who he is” back in Brazil.

“Calling up Martinelli shows that you, Tite, shouldn't hold the position you do, because you're not fair to Gabigol,” Neto continued. “The guy who scores five goals in the season, who walks around the mall here, nobody knows who he is… And not taking Gabigol, the guy who scored the goal of the Libertadores title, who scored 29 goals in the season.”

Someone was always going to be the loser

He added, “What has Martinelli done in European football? Arsenal are not even in the Champions League. This is a calamity!” Gabigol is hugely popular back in Brazil and is a player in fine form himself having scored the goal to seal the Copa Libertadores against Corinthians last month. Martinelli is part of a star-studded nine-man attack.