5 players who should never have been made captain
When we think of football team captains, the pre-requisite is that those players have to be, without fail, an example to the rest of their teammates. A player who can adequately get across the manager's message with enough of a presence in the dressing room to be taken seriously but not alienated. It's a tough ask for some. How many times have we seen players that are quite clearly not captaincy material thrust into the position purely because of his standing within a certain club? The following five slides are a drop in a very large ocean regarding players who should never have been handed the captain's armband – for a variety of reasons.
#5 Neymar - Brazil
There was a sense of inevitability that Neymar would be bestowed the ultimate honour and captain the Selecao. When the going has got tough, Neymar has been in amongst it and has provided the goods when needed.
A back injury at the World Cup in 2014 was a blessing in disguise as it turned out. Brazil’s favourite son was absolved from all blame for the 7-1 hammering at the hands of eventual champions Germany.
However, the most popular player doesn’t always make the best captain and Neymar is a case in point. Leading by example isn’t yet his forte. The exuberance of youth means that far too often Neymar has concerned himself with situations that do not require his input.
Witness the end of the game against Colombia in the Copa America where he was not only sent off for aiming the ball at an opponent after the final whistle but cited for abusing the referee thereafter.
Captain’s behaviour? I don’t think so.