"Our biggest star" - Brazil manager Tite picks between Neymar and Vinicius and says it is 'time to be champions' 

Brazil manager Tite has hailed Paris Saint-Germain ace Neymar over Real Madrid starlet Vinicius Junior, hailing the 30-year-old as the Selecao’s “biggest star.”

The former Barcelona star did not enjoy the best of campaigns in the 2021-22 season, recording only 13 goals and eight assists for PSG in 28 games across competitions. Vinicius, on the other hand, enjoyed his best-ever campaign, bagging 22 goals and 20 assists in 52 games for Real Madrid, helping them to La Liga and Champions League glory.

The Real Madrid youngster undoubtedly enjoyed a better campaign than the PSG ace, both in terms of individual exploits and collective honor. Tite, however, refused to discard the old in favor of the new.

Speaking to the Guardian, Tite clarified his stance on the Neymar versus Vinicius debate, confirming that the former Barcelona forward was still his top star. He said:

“Neymar is Neymar. He remains our biggest star. The difference now is that the glow is diluted by nearby stars that can also shine. Neymar’s greatness is that he understands this – about the growth of these kids. He encourages the boys to go up a level. Time and experience provide this maturity.”

Tite was also asked to elaborate on how he was managing his anxiety levels and what his expectations were for the campaign in Qatar.

The Brazil boss added:

“How am I? I’m expectant but focused. We reached the World Cup; now it’s time to reach the final and be champions. This is the truth. At the last World Cup I was the manager because of other circumstances [Dunga was fired in 2016 and Tite took over]. Now I have had the opportunity to do the full four-year cycle. Expectations are high but the focus is on work.”

---

Neymar has always been a reliable performer for Brazil

Irrespective of his performances in club football, the PSG No. 10 rarely misfires for his Brazil. The captain always leads by example, scoring goals and creating chances at will.

Without him on the pitch, Tite’s men often struggle to breach opposition lines, especially when they are implementing well-drilled low-block systems.

The Brazilian maverick, who is yet to win a major international trophy, has featured in 118 games for Brazil, recording 74 goals and 51 assists, averaging 1.06 goal contributions per game.

If the five-time world champions are to go deep in the tournament this term, they would need the country’s second-highest goalscorer (behind Pele’s 77 goals), to fire on all cylinders.

---