As we have a look today at the Portuguese media, we get to read twice that Manchester City player João Cancelo is ‘the best fullback in the world’.
One of the stories came in the morning, in newspaper Record, where columnist Rui Dias features a column with those exact words.
It’s claimed that following Cancelo’s arrival at Manchester City with his move from Juventus in 2019, the player had big evolution under Pep Guardiola, and his improvement was good enough to make him the best in his position.
‘Pep Guardiola gave him affection, confidence and the tactical fundamentals that made him undisputed,’ says the column.
‘In Manchester he found the paradise to chase away the ghosts of a past that teetered between limitless potential and doubt; in a great football colossus he found patience, understanding, affection and a sense of direction, elements that supported his solid construction as a complete player, moulded to the measure of a top team.’
‘João Cancelo didn’t need to give up the free and creative spirit, that has always characterised him, to reach universal consensus as a player over whom history has not yet delivered the final sentence. He just added fundamentals that scaled him ahead and made him much more complete at the back. To the extreme of gathering, nowadays, a vast consensus as the best and most decisive side in the world.’
It turns out that Rui Dias’ opinion was then backed up by someone very important in Portugal.
In a press conference this afternoon, national team manager Fernando Santos also praised the Manchester City player, and used those same words.
“All the fullbacks that are here play both right and left. We’ll take the options for this game depending on what we think is best. I definitely think Cancelo is the best fullback in the world, at least in my perspective,” said Santos (via Record).
Now clearly very much appreciated in Portugal, Cancelo prepares for the final two fixtures of the World Cup qualifiers, to be played against Republic of Ireland and Serbia in the coming days.
