Corinthians coach lauds Gil's Brazil call-up

Sao Paulo, March 22: Corinthians coach Tite praised the inclusion of defender Gil in Brazil’s tiol football team for friendlies against France and Chile. The central defender has impressed during Corinthians’ unbeaten sequence in the Copa Libertadores this season and Tite believes he will be a vital addition to the ‘Selecao’.

“Gil is a great listener. You tell him what to do and he goes onto the pitch and does it. He has improved his passing and the aerial aspect of his game. He’s also good one-on-one. He is hungry to improve and we are hoping he does well,” Tite said on Saturday.

Gil was called up by Brazil coach Dunga on Friday after the injury-enforced omissions of Paris Saint-Germain defenders David Luiz and Marquinhos, and Shandong Luneng striker Diego Tardelli. Uncapped Arsel central defender Gabriel Paulista and Shakhtar Donetsk striker Luiz Adriano were also drafted into Dunga’s 23-man squad.

Brazil will meet France in Paris on March 26 before taking on Chile in London three days later. IANS