Zenit coach appreciated the game of 19-year-old defender Renan

The coach of the St. Petersburg “Zenith” William de Oliveira spoke about the 19-year-old Brazilian defender of the club Renan.

As part of the Blue-White-Blues, the footballer played ten matches and was not marked by effective actions.

– Renan played at the World Youth Championship. How is he to you?

– The game did not work out with Italy. The opponent completely ran across the Brazilians, they could not even breathe. In the first half, crazy energy. Of course, Renan still has work to do, it is impossible not to make mistakes at this age. But the way he handles the ball, what decisions he makes is a big plus for us.

Of course, defensive skills need to be improved. Especially in tactical terms. But we’re talking about a player who only played 15-20 senior games. This is a talent that needs to be discovered and worked with.

— How do you react to the news about the interest in him from the top clubs in Europe?

– For Robert now it is important to just play. And improve your defensive performance. It is clear that many clubs are following him. We also followed him for several years and saw his potential. And we knew that there would be such problems that we have now. It is almost impossible for a defender to teach the first pass, the correct exit from defense. It either exists or it doesn’t. Renan has it. It is much easier to learn to defend than to attack.

All big clubs want to be on the ball, to have the initiative. Therefore, it is not surprising that so many people look at him. But I think he should spend the next six months at Zenit, ”the Metaratings.ru coach quotes.

Renan moved to Zenit from the Brazilian Corinthians in the winter of 2023. He signed a contract with the Petersburgers until 2028.

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