Coutinho refutes criticism: “In my career there was never a lack of professionalism”

Barcelona’s Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho He was surprised this Monday by some criticism he has received in the Spanish press for his indolence when he went out to warm up before the Celtic in the game in which the Barça it was traced back a 0-3.

“In my career there was never a lack of professionalism,” Coutinho said at a press conference in Sao Paulo, where he is concentrating on his selection for the matches with Colombia and Argentina in the qualifying rounds for the Qatar World Cup 2022. Coutinho, finally, did not play a single minute.

“They can search anywhere I passed. I always respected everyone, my colleagues, the (technical) staff, everyone I worked with,” he said. “I confess that I was a bit surprised when I saw that, but all good, I respect the opinion of all journalists,” he pointed out.

No continuity

Coutinho wanted to focus the attention of his appearance on what it means for him to return to a call-up with Brazil, with which he has not played since October last year. “I’m very happy, I really wanted to be here back,” he said.

He also stressed that he is “one hundred percent” physically after a “complicated” stage in which he was unemployed for nine months, a period during which he underwent – he recalled – three consecutive surgeries on the same knee. “But since I came back” in September “I don’t feel any pain. Physically I feel fine,” he guaranteed.

Praise to Xavi

However, he acknowledged that he is still not at his best level because “unfortunately” he has not had a sequence of “five, six games in a row” at Barcelona, ​​although he remarked that with “work” he will get them to look at him with different eyes. “.

Coutinho now hopes to have the confidence of Xavi, to which he praised. “Xavi He was a great player, a great soccer idol. And now he is back home at Barcelona. I hope you can be very successful with the group we have. I was able to talk to him once when I visited some doctors in Qatar, I know he is a great guy, he will definitely do a great job in Barcelona. ”

Asked about the offer admitted by himself Xavi of the Brazilian team as attached to TiteThe Barça player replied that “it took me by surprise, I didn’t know it, but the truth is that he did a great job in Qatar.”

Brazil, leader

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Brazil will host Colombia next Thursday at the NeoQuímica Arena stadium in Sao Paulo and five days later they will face Argentina, in San Juan, in what will be their last match of the year.

Brazil is the undisputed leader of the South American qualifiers, with 31 points in 11 games, six more than its immediate pursuer, Argentina, and with a 15 advantage over Colombia, fourth placed, last place that gives direct access to the World Cup event.