Coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto appreciates the FC Porto player and assures that he cannot force him to become a naturalized citizen.

In November last year, register He confirmed that Pepe was invited to become a naturalized Paraguayan to play for the national team of that country where his mother was born. In the same news, we wrote that the FC Porto player was proud of the invitation, but he refused it. Now, the topic has come down to coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto who has been very clear in his message.

The Paraguay coach was faced with the possibility of owning not only the versatile Dragons player, but also the Brazilian midfielder Mauricio, from Internacional de Porto Alegre, whose father has Paraguayan citizenship.

With all due respect to the players [Maurício e Pepê], I did not communicate with them. We received information about the possibility of them obtaining Paraguayan citizenship, but I cannot force them to do so to play for the national team. They are the ones who have to take a step forward, they have to kill themselves and show that they want to come and play here,” Guillermo Barros Schelotto returned.

Now, if you ask me how they play, I will tell you that they play very well. Without a doubt. One plays for FC Porto and the other for Inter. [de Porto Alegre]. We watch football all over the world so we know all the players we could have here,” praised the Paraguayan coach.

By Nuno Barbosa