Brazil coach Andre Jardine has explained why he decided to call up 38-year-old Dani Alves for his Olympic Games squad.
The Sao Paulo star was a surprise call-up to the side as one of the three overaged players allowed, although he did miss out on a spot in the Selecao's 2021 Copa America squad.
Alves is one of the most successful players in world football thanks to his time at Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, and Jardine feels that winning experience can be key for the youngsters at the tournament in Tokyo.
"He is a leader, a winner, he has a lot of charisma, and he is very respected by all the Brazilian players," the coach said, as per Marca.
"He is a great example for this generation of players that we have.
"And, curiously, he has never competed in the Olympic Games, so we think it is the perfect marriage.
"He is going to be an example to the squad and a leader on the pitch.
"And if we think of the player with excitement to become a champion… he has a rich history of titles."
