The Liverpool midfielder was given the spot after a few bad performances from the Chelsea player, and did quite well as he scored one goal and helped the team to thrash Bolivia 5-0 in the South American World Cup Qualifiers.
Coutinho says he was already prepared for this chance after a few conversations with the coach: “Tite is a manager who talks a lot, he tries to keep the players focused and feel important.
“I knew how to wait for the time to start. When the time came, I was confident because Tite had spoken to me.”
And according to the player, this decision, which has been big news in Brazil, hasn’t affected his relationship with his Premier League rival Willian: “When I scored, the first one who came to talk to me was Willian. He came to celebrate with me. So it shows the importance of the friendship we have.”
As Neymar is suspended for Brazil’s next match, Coutinho and Willian will have the chance to play together against Venezuela on Tuesday. This change will mean that instead of playing on the right wing, Coutinho can play on the left as Willian returns to his original spot.
