Gabriel Martinelli has thanked Arsenal for the part the club played in realising his dream of playing at a World Cup for his national side Brazil. It comes after the 21-year-old received a call to Tite's 26-man Selecao squad for the tournament in Qatar, with their opening game against Serbia on Thursday, November 24.
Martinelli isn't the only Gunners star in the team though as striker Gabriel Jesus is also joining him, with the pair enjoying a fine start to the season in the Premier League. Both have played a huge part in leading the side to top of the league at this stage, with the World Cup giving a month long break in between.
It means their focus switches to the international stage, though club manager Mikel Arteta has lauded both for earning a call-up to the squad. "They [Martinelli and Jesus] are delighted, I spoke to both of them today and they have big smiles on their faces. For Gabi Martinelli it’s his first one and I think it’s a huge achievement to be part of the national team. For Gabby Jesus it’s great as well because he needed that call after what happened in the last one."
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Martinelli's call raised a few eyebrows, having only been capped by Brazil three times in the lead up to the tournament, though it was a decision Tite has stood by. It outlines a dream for the youngster to play in the World Cup, thanking Arsenal for their part after having his professional ambitions dashed early on by two other clubs.
He wrote in The Players' Tribune: "When Tite did call me up, I was so emotional. Pô, you have no idea … I felt like I was living in some kind of parallel fantasy world. I owe so much to so many people, especially my parents. But I want to start by thanking my second family — Arsenal — because without you guys none of this would have been possible.
"I thank God that I came to Arsenal in 2019. I really believe that things happen for a reason, and I’m so happy here. It’s funny to look back now, because I could so easily have ended up somewhere else. You see, I used to be part of this project at Manchester United. I was actually there for several trials. I even met many of the senior players. When I was 17, I had my last session there, so I went back to Brazil waiting for news.
"One day my dad called me into the living room. He had spoken to my agent and … well, United had said no. Not just, 'No, for this year.' But, 'No, we don’t want him. At all.'
"To be honest, I was shaken. They had seen me play several times, and I was sure they were going to sign me, you know? A few weeks later I got another trial, at Barcelona. I spent 15 days there. They didn’t want me either. That was easier to accept, because it was just one trial. Still…."
However, things still worked out for the better for Martinelli, who has since broken through at Arsenal and as he has added end product to his tricky skillset, he has become a handful for defenders. He will be looking to continue that form into the world's biggest stage, while off it talks continue to extend his contract at the Emirates Stadium.
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