Five-time champions Brazil will go to the World Cup in June lacking the great players needed to win the trophy and over-reliant on Kaka, former skipper Carlos Alberto has said.
The ex-Brazil right back also said England striker Wayne Rooney was the best player in the world.
Alberto, 65, who led his country to their 1970 triumph and scored one of the tournament’s greatest goals of all time in the final, said the modern crop lacked the strength in depth that marked previous campaigns.
“In past World Cups Brazil would leave [home] with four, five, six great players — each one of them capable of winning a World Cup single-handed,” he said in an interview at his home in Rio de Janeiro. “It happened with Garrincha and Pele, then with Romario in 1994 and Ronaldo and Rivaldo in 2002. This has always happened.”
Alberto said playmaker Kaka, who has been below his best since his US$92 million move from AC Milan to Real Madrid last year, may have to shoulder much of the burden.
“Today Brazil are virtually dependent on Kaka and if Kaka gets injured, what is going to happen? We do not have any other player able to turn a World Cup match around and give the title to Brazil,” said Alberto, adding that Milan’s Ronaldinho should be included in coach Dunga’s squad.
He picked out Germany and England as potential dangers in the June 11 to July 11 tournament in South Africa with Spain, Italy and South American neighbors Argentina also candidates.
“We have much to respect Germany for [in terms of] tradition. I am very glad when I see Brazilian people talking about England today because nobody talked about England before,” Alberto said. “The main thing for the English was when the federation chose Mr [Fabio] Capello to coach the team because he brought to the group Latin mentality. But they have a very good team and they have one player — Wayne Rooney. In my opinion, today he is the best player in the world.”
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