Copa America

Rivaldo blasts "ugly" Brazil squad

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 01 July 2015

Former Brazil attacker Rivaldo believes that the selection process for his country needs addressing following their Copa America elimination.

Brazil legend Rivaldo has called on Selecao boss Dunga to review his selection process following the South American country's elimination from the Copa America.

Brazil were beaten on penalties by Paraguay at the quarter-final stage of the tournament at the weekend.

Rivaldo has claimed that Dunga's selection needs to be addressed, with the likes of Everton Ribeiro and Diego Tardelli called into the squad despite playing in UAE and China respectively.

"On Tuesday it was 13 years since Brazil won its fifth World Cup. I will never forget that moment," Rivaldo wrote on his official Facebook page. "But nowadays it seems that any player can be called to the national team. I remember that in 2006 I wasn't called to the World Cup because I was playing club football in Greece.

"This was even though I was rated as the best player of the league on two occasions and it is a much more prestigious league than the ones where some of the current Brazil players are playing.

"If the state of affairs continues like this, our national team will end up going over 30 years without being champions. Please, can we call up better players because, if we don't, we will be ashamed again. I prefer to stay silent and not say anything but this time I couldn't keep quiet because things are really ugly right now as a country."

Rivaldo, 43, scored 35 times in 74 games for his country and was part of the team that won the World Cup in 2002.