Brazil's football team manager Tite admits Neymar 'concern'

Rio (Brazil), March 24

Brazil's football team manager Tite revealed that he has talked privately with Neymar as the Paris Saint-Germain forward endures one of the least productive periods of his career.

Neymar has managed just five goals in 21 games across all competitions for PSG this season while grappling with adductor and ankle injuries.

Scrutiny on the 30-year-old intensified earlier this month after the French club's elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid.

"We have a general concern, but there are things that are very intimate, that stay inside the locker room," Tite told reporters on the eve of Brazil's World Cup qualifier against Chile at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana stadium.

"If a coach of mine when I was a player exposed my problems publicly, I would protest. I do with the players what I would like the coaches to do with me."

Neymar's return of a goal every 4.2 matches this season compares with a career average of one strike per 1.7 games, reports Xinhua.

Tite said the national team structure would create a sanctuary of sorts for the No. 10, who sits second behind Pele on Brazil's all-time top scorer list with 70 goals in 116 matches.

"The reality of playing for a club is one thing and that of playing for the national team is another," Tite said. "Several players [in the squad] have been through a period of adversity with their clubs and others come here with high self-esteem. Neymar is used to playing under pressure. We already have pressure that we put on ourselves and we're not going to let pressure from the outside affect us."

The five-time world champions lead the South American zone standings and have already qualified for football's showpiece tournament, to be played in Qatar from November 21 to December 18.