Arsenal youngster reacts to Ex-Brazil star’s furious ‘biggest shame of all’ rant over 21-year-old’s call-up for FIFA WC

A day after former Brazilian international Neto criticised the selection of Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli in the country’s FIFA World Cup squad, the 21-year-old forward has said that it is “normal” for people in Brazil to not know him. Neto had come down hard at Martinelli as he had called up the Arsenal star’s call-up as the ‘biggest shame of all’, further adding that Gabriel Barbosa (also known as Gabigol) should have been picked instead of the Arsenal youngster.

“This is a shame, a joke! I feel ashamed! Not because of Dani Alves’ story. What is Martinelli’s story? 33 career goals. 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,” Neto had said on Brazil’s Os Donos de Bola.

Martinelli, however, had a rather calm reaction to Neto’s criticism, saying that he has trust in his ability and will do “the best for Brazil” at the World Cup, that opens November 20.

“I think this is normal. Some people in Brazil don’t know me and it’s also normal to say that other players deserved to be there. But I’m pretty cool about it. I think this is normal. I know what I’m doing at my club, I know my ability and I know what I can do. And you can be sure that I will do my best for the Brazilian team, in whatever I can help the team I will help. It will be a great experience for me,” Martinelli said on ESPN Brasil.

“It’s good for Arsenal to have players in the World Cup. And everyone was very happy, we are a very united team. There was also the call-up of Bukayo, Aaron, Ben, so we are happy for each other. We know that we are at the top of the Premier League, but this is just the beginning, and that we still have a lot of work to do,” he further said.

Brazil will begin their campaign in the World Cup against Serbia on November 24; they are placed in Group G alongside Switzerland and Cameroon.