Neymar Maturity, Leadership Skills Questioned by Ex-Brazil Star Mario Zagallo

Former Brazil manager Mario Zagallo has questioned whether or not Barcelona star Neymar is the right man to lead the national side. 

The forward was confirmed as the Selecao skipper in the wake of the 2014 World Cup and has responded with some fine displays in the iconic jersey. But Zagallo, who has won the World Cup twice as a player and twice as a manager, is unsure whether or not the 24-year-old has the maturity for such a role.

“I like him [Neymar] a lot,” said the Brazil legend, per Extra (via DPA and Marca). “He is an exceptional player, he's got everything it takes to go on even further, but he needs to develop an awareness that he's leading the Brazilian national team. He can't step out of line. He's not as mature as he should be.”

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Zagallo may well be referring to Neymar’s recent indiscipline both on and off the field. The Barca man missed the most recent World Cup qualifier, against Paraguay, for his side due to suspension. That ban was accrued following a booking against Uruguay, after which it’s suggest by the aforementioned source that the forward was spotted at a nightclub in Santa Catarina.

“These are the sort of problems which we can't be having,” said Zagallo of the incident. “Even more so when you're a star player. Neymar has a reputation to maintain.”

The player is still a talismanic figure for this side. Here is a reminder of some of his best moments in a Brazil shirt so far:

For Barcelona he emerged as a leader earlier in the campaign. With attacking star Lionel Messi sidelined with an injury for a couple of months, the axis of the team’s attack shifted to the Brazilian and he thrived. Goals, assists and remarkable pieces of skills followed, meaning even a player as influential as Messi was hardly missed.

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As the Champions League Twitter feed noted here, when under pressure to perform at the Camp Nou, Neymar has done so:

When Zagallo was the manager of the Brazil team he had captains who fit a more traditional model. In 1970 the industrious Carlos Alberto was the leader of the Selecao, while current manager Dunga was the man who lifted the trophy under his tutelage in 1994.

But there are different ways of leading a team. Some captains are unassuming characters, yet when it comes to the field, they demand the ball, drive the team forward and set high standards in everything they do. That’s the kind of captain you suspect Dunga wants Neymar to be and there's plenty of evidence to suggest he’s capable of fulfilling that role.