Olympics are very important for Brazilians

- Jose, what is the Brazil Olympic team like? Are they really the most talented Brazilian players under 23?

- Yes. The Brazilian Olympic team is the country's second team. It's like the U21 team in Ukraine. But for the Brazilians, the confederation and Brazilian football in general, it is even more important than the second team because they pay a lot of attention to the Olympic Games. As we remember, four years ago in Rio they won the Olympic gold medals with such players as Neymar and Gabriel Jesus. So, it’s very important for any Brazilian player to be part of this national team, to participate in the Olympics and win.

- How much is the success of this national team valued in Brazil and are they capable of winning the Olympic Games?

- Of course, they are among the favourites as they have some big talents. Plus, all teams can bring three players over 23 years old, and I think the players like Neymar still want to take part in the Olympic games. But there is another very talented generation - the national team players born in 1997, 1999, 2000, that’s a very talented generation as well. Of course, the process did not start today, it happened last year, when the U23 team qualified for the Olympic Games. They won the South American tournament already with two Shakhtar players Maycon and Dodo. And now there are two more guys there born in 2000, despite the fact that the base year is 1997. Considering that they have a great number of players to choose from, the presence of our guys in that group is a good sign because they may well take part in the Tokyo Olympics next summer.

- Shakhtar has the most representatives in the Brazil Olympic team - four players. What does this mean? And what do they think about it in Brazil?

- First of all, this means that a big volume of work is done by the whole club - from management to the scouting team. And, of course, by the coach who brings the players to that level. This fact of four players in the national team is widely highlighted in the Brazilian press and on television. They talk about Shakhtar (and not Liverpool, Real Madrid or Ajax) having the most players in the Olympic team. In my opinion, that is also very important both for our players and for the club in general. Because many people now, they talk about Shakhtar in Brazil like the club the Brazilian people want to follow.

- Tete, Dodo, Marcos Antonio, Maycon - please characterize each of these players.

- Let's start from the defence. Dodo is a fullback whose qualities are not so easy to find in the transfer market, since he has incredible speed, technique, decision-making, and he progresses each year. And along with this attacking set of characteristics, he defends very well. That’s why, I think, Dodo is very important for Brazil and he may well jump into the first national team in the near future. Finding such a player, especially in Brazil, is not easy. Maycon is a very intelligent footballer. Although to the onlookers he might not seem to stand out in any special way. Well, he shoots well and the fans love the way he scores goals. He is not particularly noticeable since he does everything well and naturally without any effort, this looks very simple and easy. But as Johan Cruyff liked to say: "Playing simple is the most difficult thing." Maycon is just that kind of player - very intelligent and knowing how to make it simple, which is really important. Tete is a natural talent. He is really strong in one-on-one challenges, and on top of that he has another thing - the capacity to score goals and to assist. This is very important in the transfer market these days. Because normally, many people do not even watch the games, but immediately go to the stats, and Tete always has leading positions in the stats - that, by the way, is also very important from the point of view of the player's value. Marcos is just an extraordinary footballer for me. When you look at him, as they say, you won't give much for him: he is small in stature and not tall, but at the same time he’s one of the most intelligent players I've ever seen in my life! The first time I saw him playing was in Brazil U17 - it took me like a minute and one action to tell myself ‘I have to follow this kid’. Because he is so good in his actions, he makes everything perfect even with that body ... By the way, it’s not a problem for him. After the first impression, everybody completely forgets about it when they start seeing him playing. For me, Marcos is one of the most exciting and promising players we have.

- Please assess the chances of each of them to appear in the upcoming games against South Korea and Egypt. And which of these players can already claim key roles in the Brazil U23 team?

- We keep in touch with many coaches in the Brazilian confederation. This process is undergoing changes and reformations. For example, I always talk to Andre Jardine, the current coach of the Brazil U23 team, and he sometimes asks me about things that are not always so obvious when watching videos of games. Such contacts are mutually important for both Shakhtar and the Brazilians. I have confidence that all four of them will play. Maybe not in the starting XI in the first two games, but they will appear for sure. I told the guys that in Egypt they need to take advantage of each minute they have in training and in the games in order to show their capacity to be there. In order to join the final squad at the Olympics next summer.