Brazil coach Chichi: "Son Heung-min deserves to be the top scorer in the EPL"

“Show us your competitiveness like Hwang Hee-chan… Our goal is to become a better team through the Korean War”

Director Chichi talking with his mouth closed

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Joo-seong Kim = Coach Chichi of Brazil’s national football team speaks with his mouth covered while teaching public training at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 1st, one day before the evaluation match against Bentuho. 2022.6.1 utzza@yna.co.kr

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Eui-jin Lee = Coach Chichi, who leads the Brazil national football team ranked No.

Coach Chi-Chi said, “Hello” in slurred Korean at a press conference held non-face-to-face at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 1st, one day before the match against Korea.

He said, “Heung-min Son is a top-class player with perfect technique, physical strength, and mentality. It is no coincidence that he won the top scorer.”

Son Heung-min, who scored 23 goals in 35 Premier League matches in the 2021-2022 season, became the first Asian player to become the Premier League top scorer.

Coach Chi-Chi said, “Other players are also showing competitiveness,” and picked Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) as an example.

On the other hand, he explained that the reason for entering Korea from the 26th of last month, much earlier than before the evaluation, was to adapt to the jet lag.

He also revealed his ambition to not only win the Korean War, but also get an opportunity to further develop the team internally.

The following is a Q&A with Director Chichi.

— How do you feel about playing against Korea?

▲ Thank you for welcoming us in Korea. (Korea) is also a well-prepared country in the sports field. I’ve been to the World Cup several times. I think it is enough to hold another World Cup. Heung-Min Son represents Korea, but other players are also showing great competitiveness. For example, Hwang Hee-chan clearly showed his abilities. I think the soccer team is a team where the players are in harmony as coach Paulo Bento has been conducting for a long time.

— Korea’s match against Brazil is for the purpose of preparing for the World Cup match against Uruguay. What does the Korean War mean to Brazil?

▲ We don’t just want the result of winning the match against Korea. Expecting many things. The goal is to check the growth and development of the players, whether they can perform on the road or if they have the performance that we can want. I don’t think there will be ‘long ball soccer’ tomorrow, where players run around and consume a lot of stamina. Bento’s team is the team that owns the ball while passing in a triangular shape. It will be a stable game. We will also prepare to maintain the best condition and show a good game.

— The team, including Neymar, arrived in Korea early and had time to recharge while visiting Namsan and amusement parks. How do you think this will affect performance?

▲ Arriving early is the wisdom of life. The biggest goal is to overcome the time difference of 12 hours. (About the players who went to play) Each hobbies should be respected. As a manager, you have to focus on your appearance on the field. It was difficult for me to adjust to the jet lag, such as thinking of meals even when it was not time to eat and thinking of coffee even when it was not my usual tea time. I am now used to it.

**Coach Chichi prepares to face Bentuho**

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Joo-seong Kim = Coach Chichi of Brazil’s national football team instructs the public training held at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 1st, one day before the evaluation match against Bentuho. 2022.6.1 utzza@yna.co.kr

— Korean fans are very interested in the match between Son Heung-min and Neymar. Son Heung-min recently won the top scorer in the EPL, so please rate his skills.

▲ I know that Koreans have high expectations for this match. Heung-Min Son is a very good player as a top-notch player. He sees him as a perfect player technically, physically and mentally. He deserves to be the scoring king. It is difficult for him to achieve anything after he becomes a pro. It is no coincidence that he won the top scorer this time.

— This year is the 20th anniversary of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup. It is also Brazil’s most recent World Cup victory. Do you think the Korean War, which will be played during this period, has a positive impact on the Qatar World Cup?

▲ Yes. It will give positive energy to Brazil. I want to congratulate both Brazil and Korea that the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup has turned 20. However, such positive energy alone cannot solve everything. You have to prepare well. Athletes have to do what the coaches want them to do. You have to play with respect to your opponent while suppressing your opponent’s strengths and attacking their weaknesses. All these factors must be in harmony to achieve good results.

— The players who played in the Champions League final joined later. Do they participate too?

▲ That’s the big dilemma. These players traveled long distances and had only recently played. Considering physical strength, it is correct not to participate. However, our goal is ‘every player participates in the game’. Also, each player is different. Casemiro (Real Madrid) has a dilemma as he recovers quickly and wants to play again. Another dilemma is that the criteria of one Casemiro cannot be applied to all players. We try to negotiate internally to make the best decision.