Neymar's eight-month role as captain of the Brazilian national team has come to an end ahead of the upcoming Copa America tournament. The South American giant announced this on Monday, revealing that he will be replaced by Dani Alves.
The world's most expensive player was permanently given the armband back in September 2018 but his short reign has now come to an end. Les Parisens team-mate and close friend Alves will be the Selecao captain when they host the highly-anticipated continental tournament, starting on June 14.
"The decision was communicated to Neymar by Tite on Saturday," the Brazilian football federation stated in an official statement. This will come as a blow to the 27-year-old attacker amid his turbulent end to the season.
The former Barcelona ace was slapped with a three-match ban and was condemned by his own manager after striking a fan after their Coupe de France final defeat. Furthermore, Neymar has missed a huge part of the season after suffering a foot injury.
Although the former Santos sensation will not be captaining his nation at the 2019 Copa America, he remains a key figure in Tite's squad. Brazil, the eight-time champion, will be keen on lifting this title on home soil after coming up short in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
They have been grouped with Venezuela, Bolivia, and Peru. Neymar and Co. will kick off their campaign against Bolivia on June 14 in Sao Paulo.
