'Juve are ruining Diego and Melo'
Wednesday 23 December, 2009
Brazil Coach Carlos Dunga believes Juventus are ruining Diego and Felipe Melo by playing them out of position and misunderstanding their characteristics.
The Bianconeri signed the Brazilian pair in the summer for a combined fee of nearly €50m, raising expectation levels throughout Italy and Turin.
However, both players have flopped and are now the subject of regular criticism from the fans and the media, no more so than Melo.
Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Dunga said: “I don't understand. I ask myself: do Juve understand Felipe's technical characteristics?
“He is not a classic playmaker. He has never mistaken a game for Brazil. Ferrara has to have faith in Felipe. He has to speak to him and explain what Juve is.
“There are few central midfielders as strong as Felipe in circulation around the world.”
Dunga then turned his attention to Diego, the former Santos and Werder Bremen star, who started his Juventus career well only to tail off over the last two months.
“In Italy there is no balance in the judgements. After the first month of the championship Diego was the new Zidane. Today he is any old player.
“Diego is not Zidane, he isn't even Platini. But even Platini and Zidane needed time to understand Serie A, right?
“Diego is not a player who makes the team work by himself. To lift his fantasia he needs to be inserted into an orchestra that works. And right now Juventus have problems.”
On a brighter note, Dunga revealed he is happy with the way Leonardo's Milan are performing and especially Ronaldinho.
“I have seen Ronaldinho smile on TV. It seems like a detail. Instead it's an important 'report'. Dinho makes the difference when he is happy.
“For him the ball is his happiness, not his job. I have also seen him fight, run and suffer behind an opponent. Other positive signals.
“I follow him. I await him. The doors to the Brazil side are not closed. I still have six months to choose the players. Ronaldinho needs to continue like this, remembering that in football the past doesn't count. All that counts is the present.
“Public opinion would like Dinho in South Africa. But this is normal. The people support those who are out of the squad. It also happens in Italy, right? I read that the fans would like to see Cassano or Totti.”
Football Italia
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Well, we do ruin a lot of players, that's for sure.
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