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RIO DE JANEIRO. – Brazil soccer legend Zico has called on his country to stop exporting players to Europe in the wake of their World Cup implosion.
The three-time World Cup veteran was part of the 1982 squad regarded by some as the best ever.

But he has angrily blamed the drain of talent from the country and the increasing European influence on its footballers for their humiliating collapse in front of their own nation.

Zico, who scored 52 goals in 71 appearances for the five-time world champions said: “The biggest problem is that Brazil has become an exporter of football talent.

“The clubs from Europe take away all the talent from Brazil.

“Brazilian boys as young as 14 and 15 are now based in Europe. They spend their best years in Europe and come back to Brazil when they are past their prime.

“This has destroyed local clubs and championships. Unless we stop the talent from leaving the country in such huge numbers at such a young age, we can’t revive football in Brazil.- The Mirror.

“The first thing I would do if I was chief of the CBF would be to call a closed-door meeting of all football clubs, coaches and academies and ask them what they need.

“The CBF doesn’t give money to local clubs and they are forced to sell their players to the Europeans to make money.

“We also need to pay attention to football academies and schools and nurture talent at the grassroots level.

“Today, it’s a shame that the national side doesn’t have a single player from Rio, which has produced so many legends, and there are so many players in the team who have never played for a Brazilian club.”

Meanwhile, Manuel Pellegrini has turned down the chance to manage Brazil.

Reports from Pellegrini’s native Chile claimed the Manchester City boss was asked about the prospect of succeeding Luiz Felipe Scolari.

“Big Phil” quit on Monday in the wake of hosts and five-time winners Brazil’s humiliating 7-1 World Cup semi-final defeat to eventual winners Germany – a situation not helped by a subsequent 3-0 loss to Holland in the third and fourth place play-off.

Pellegrini, who led the Blues to the English Premier League title and League Cup success last season in his first year in charge, was among the favourites to succeed Scolari, according to El Mercurio in Chile.

The Brazilian Football Federation are understood to have sounded out Pellegrini through the 60-year-old’s representatives, but were told he would honour his contract with City and was not interested in the role.

Pellegrini is currently putting the English Premier League champions through their pre-season programme in Scotland, where City will play Hearts tomorrow, before heading off to the US to continue their build-up to the new campaign.

In America, City will face Sporting Kansas City, AC Milan, Liverpool and Olympiakos, before facing Arsenal in the Community Shield at Wembley on August 10, ahead of their English Premier League opener at Newcastle on August 17. – The Mirror.