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Joao Pedro’s family and friends have expressed their anger after the Chelsea star was brutally snubbed from national selection for the World Cup.
Despite playing a starring role in his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge – which saw him land the club’s Player of the Season prize – Brazil boss omitted Pedro from his 26-man squad for this summer’s tournament, selecting Neymar instead.
His axeing was made all the more brutal after footage emerged of Pedro’s nearest and dearest gathering in Sao Paolo to watch Ancelotti’s squad announcement.
There was a party atmosphere at the shindig in the Ribeirão Preto region of the city, with Pedro’s loved ones having a barbecue and decorating the home in Brazil’s iconic green and yellow colours.
But the mood turned sombre when it became apparent that Pedro will be watching the tournament from afar, and his friends have hit out at Ancelotti’s decision.
‘We’re very sad because we know it’s a dream,’ said former footballer Jimmy Barboza, a close friend of Pedro’s, via Globo. ‘We always hope he’ll be called up for every match. Unfortunately, not this time.
Joao Pedro’s family and friend friends have shared their disappointment at his World Cup snub
Despite enjoying a strong season with Brazil, Carlo Ancelotti left Pedro out of his squad
‘It’s the coach’s choice. Now we have to root for Brazil. I’ll send him a message. It’s a surprise. I don’t know if Ancelotti has already called him or not, but we’ll do our part as friends.’
Arthur Mendonça, a childhood friend of Pedro, insisted that the Chelsea star was more deserving of a place in the squad than some selected by Ancelotti – but did not name names.
‘He had a chance of going. I believed he would, especially given the timing. Compared to others, the timing is better, but that’s how it is. There are differing opinions, and we have to respect that.’
Vanessa Barbosa, a family friend, backed Pedro to overcome this stinging setback.
‘Frustrating. That’s all I have to say. But João Pedro is a boy with a lot of personality. He’s very mature for his age and I’m sure he’ll overcome this. He’s certainly sad, but this won’t shake him. Regardless of what happens, we’re in this together.’
Meanwhile, Neymar celebrated his call up by pocketing a cool £4.5million from social media posts alone.
Meanwhile, Neymar pocketed £4.5m just one hour after his World Cup call up with a number of sponsored social media posts
Within the space of just 50 minutes from Ancelotti’s announcement, Neymar shared three posts on social media – promoting an e-commerce platform, a sports brand and an energy drink.
Those three sponsored posts, according to Globo, earned him £4.5m.
Confirming his World Cup squad, Ancelotti said: ‘I’m not afraid to say that we want to win the World Cup, because expectations are high,’ said the Italian. ‘We will have a squad capable of developing quality football, with collective spirit and quality.
‘It is not a perfect squad, I’m sure of that.
‘I have to say that the team that wins the World Cup will not be a perfect team – a perfect team does not exist.
‘The most resilient team can win. We want to be the most resilient team in the world.’
