Beckham7
01-04-2002, 05:24 PM
Deportivo La Coruna's veteran midfielder Mauro Silva is confident of winning back his place in the Brazil squad for the World Cup, despite refusing to take part in last summer's Copa America.
"My aim is to be in the group that goes to Japan and South Korea," insisted the 33-year-old.
Mauro Silva's international career has been in doubt since he pulled out of the Copa America in Colombia at the last moment due to safety fears. The entire Argentina squad had already withdrawn due to the political instability in Colombia.
But the midfielder claimed on Thursday that Brazil coach Luis Felipe Scolari was not holding that decision against him. "It was a personal choice and I do not regret it," he explained. "I have already cleared everything up with Scolari and there are no problems."
Mauro Silva claimed he was not involved in Brazil's recent World Cup qualifiers because he was suffering from injuries.
"I've had this muscle strain which has really been affecting me at Deportivo. But I am fully fit again now," declared the midfielder, before hinting that his club-mate Djalminha could also be in with a shout of making the party of 23 for the finals.
"When Scolari was in La Coruna last year, he told Djalminha that he was in his plans," he said.
Mauro Silva also played down reports in South America that he is set to move to Brazil to improve his World Cup prospects.
"I am really settled at Deportivo. I was close to leaving last season, but when 1,000 fans turned up at the airport and asked me to stay, it really touched me.
"I will probably return to Brazil before I retire. I would like to finish with Sao Paulo. They are the club I played for when I was a child and my father, who like me is a Sao Paulo fan, has asked me to return to the club," he added.
Mauro Silva was a key figure in Brazil's 1994 World Cup-winning team and has been capped over 40 times. He has been at Deportivo for ten seasons.
"My aim is to be in the group that goes to Japan and South Korea," insisted the 33-year-old.
Mauro Silva's international career has been in doubt since he pulled out of the Copa America in Colombia at the last moment due to safety fears. The entire Argentina squad had already withdrawn due to the political instability in Colombia.
But the midfielder claimed on Thursday that Brazil coach Luis Felipe Scolari was not holding that decision against him. "It was a personal choice and I do not regret it," he explained. "I have already cleared everything up with Scolari and there are no problems."
Mauro Silva claimed he was not involved in Brazil's recent World Cup qualifiers because he was suffering from injuries.
"I've had this muscle strain which has really been affecting me at Deportivo. But I am fully fit again now," declared the midfielder, before hinting that his club-mate Djalminha could also be in with a shout of making the party of 23 for the finals.
"When Scolari was in La Coruna last year, he told Djalminha that he was in his plans," he said.
Mauro Silva also played down reports in South America that he is set to move to Brazil to improve his World Cup prospects.
"I am really settled at Deportivo. I was close to leaving last season, but when 1,000 fans turned up at the airport and asked me to stay, it really touched me.
"I will probably return to Brazil before I retire. I would like to finish with Sao Paulo. They are the club I played for when I was a child and my father, who like me is a Sao Paulo fan, has asked me to return to the club," he added.
Mauro Silva was a key figure in Brazil's 1994 World Cup-winning team and has been capped over 40 times. He has been at Deportivo for ten seasons.