The Strange Case of Brazil's Julio Cesar

04 February 2014 09:10

About twelve months ago, Brazillian manager Luiz Felipe Scolari announced that Julio Cesar would be his number one goalkeeper. Relying on Cesar’s years of experience with AC Milan, perhaps more than his dismal experience at Queens Park Rangers, ‘Big Phi’ decided that the assuring presence of the safe-handed Cesar was the best way forward for the upcoming World Cup hosts.

The decision was borne out when Cesar performed excellently as Brazil won the Confederations Cup proving the bedrock upon which the early defensive lapses of Brazil gradually grew into assurance and then confidence.

With QPR relegated, it seemed certain that a move would be on the cards for Cesar in the summer, after all this is one of the world’s outstanding international goalkeepers. Although links with Arsenal flattered to deceive, nothing materialised and Cesar remains something of a lost soul down the goalkeeper pecking order at Loftus Road.

Just after the season started, Scolari was quizzed about his goalkeeper not even playing regular – if at all – for a team in the second tier of English football. Although appearing resolute by saying that Cesar would definitely be in his World Cup squad, Scholari no longer prompted him as the number one choice for the position between the sticks. Perhaps he was working on the assumption that another transfer window would not pass without some enterprising club picking up Cesar from the backwaters of QPR’s reserves. That however failed to happen again, and unless something changes, Scolari may need to backtrack on his plans.

The remains however an option of a loan to a Brazilian club until the end of the season. Normally, this could be complicated by the inability of a loaning club to match the player’s wages, but World Cup ambition for Cesar may well override that problem.

What is now a strange conundrum with Julio Cesar apparently not deemed good enough to play for QPR, but first choice for the World Cup hosts and favourites, may pass into something more serious for the Selecao and the player if it is not resolved shortly.

For more rom All Blue Daze:

Facebook: facebook.com/AllBlueDaze

Twitter: @All_Blue_Daze

 

Source: DSG