Paquetá recalled by Brazil for friendlies in Europe under new coach
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — West Ham midfielder Lucas Paquetá was recalled by Brazil on Friday for the first time since an investigation began in August into suspicious betting.
New Brazil coach Dorival Júnior named eight new players in the 26-man squad for friendlies against England and Spain this month.
Brazil plays England on March 23 at Wembley Stadium and Spain three days later at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
The betting allegations against Paquetá caused the collapse of his offseason transfer to Manchester City. He has not been charged by the English Football Association and has continued to play for West Ham.
Júnior has heeded the call from many Brazil fans to bring Girona winger Savinho to the national team for the first time. The 19-year-old winger is expected to sign a deal with Man City for next season.
The seven other new faces include his former players at Flamengo and Sao Paulo.
“No revamp can be radical. There needs to be a continuous change that is based in acknowledging what these players have done over the years,” Júnior said in a news conference. “We will take a close look at some of these youngsters and project what they can do within two and a half years (to the next World Cup).”
Júnior has a lot of work ahead. Brazil has suffered poor results since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The situation worsened after Brazil failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics, meaning the two-time reigning champion will be absent.
____
Brazil:
Goalkeepers: Ederson (Manchester City), Bento (Athletico Paranaense), Rafael (São Paulo).
Defenders: Danilo (Juventus), Yan Couto (Girona), Ayrton Lucas (Flamengo), Wendell (Porto), Beraldo and Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal), Murilo (Palmeiras).
Midfielders: André (Fluminense), Andreas Pereira (Fulham), Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle), Casemiro (Manchester United), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), João Gomes (Wolverhampton), Lucas Paquetá (West Ham), Pablo Maia (São Paulo).
Forwards: Endrick (Palmeiras), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Raphinha (Barcelona), Richarlison (Tottenham), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Savinho (Girona) and Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid).
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
