(Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Carlos Alberto, the Brazilian World Cup winner of 1970, has slammed Manchester United for apparently "raping" Brazilian football.
Following reports that Manchester United have signed up-and-coming Brazilian star Dodo, 17, from Corinthians for a sum of £5.7 million, Alberto gave a scathing interview in which he stated that he believes the Red Devils are taking advantage of Brazilian talent and snatching them up at a very young age.
"It is disgraceful United are allowed to rape Brazilian football. The big teams have the money and can take our best players. It is a big problem in Brazil. The clubs cannot keep hold of them if they are good young players because they can make much more money in other countries."
Dodo, who had not made one single first team appearance for the Brazilian club, follows other fellow countrymen Rodrigo Possebon, Fabio, Rafael Da Silva, and Anderson (although not actually signed direct from Brazil) at Old Trafford.
Dodo, who is rated as one of the best young central defenders in the game at the moment (comparisons have been made with Alberto himself) is part owned by Corinthians and part owned by a third-party group, Traffic Football Management.
I know what United fans are thinking: Here we go again. Carlos Tevez hysteria is back.
Manchester United struck up a deal with the third-party company last year to basically have first choice on over 120 young footballers being groomed in Sao Paulo academies to play European football.
All these footballers are of course owned by Traffic Football Management and to be honest with a name like Traffic—and the way they own players—slavery comes to mind.
Although we know that's not the case, the comparison holds some water.
However this Manchester United fan is in two minds about what Carlos Alberto is stating.
Why Carlos Alberto is right
To a certain degree I have sympathy for Carlos. During his playing days, Brazil was the place to be. At his peak years he played for Fluminense, Flamengo, and Santos.
However, it seems to be very rarely now that a Brazilian player stays in his homeland and instead plies his trade in Europe with one of the elite teams such as A.C. Milan and Barcelona.
He went on to say "they should change the law so at least until the age of 20 or 21 the best players are playing in Brazil and get some experience before moving to Europe."
And it's here that he is 100 percent correct.
Even if the players are to move, then maybe the least they could do is wait until they develop into more accomplished and experienced players.
Take Manchester United's Anderson for example. He joined Portuguese champions FC Porto at a very young age before securing a transfer to the Red Devils. During his time in Brazil, he was touted as one of the world's greatest up-and-coming talents.
An excellent attacking-midfielder, along with pace and trickery, some even dubbed him the next Ronaldinho.
However, his development has been disappointing and instead has turned into a "piano carrier" or defensive midfielder.
Who's to blame for this?
Probably Porto and Manchester United for not using him to his full potential, but blame could also go to Anderson for not spending more time playing in Brazil to hone his talents further.
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