Gabriel Magalhães has called on the Brazil national team to maintain a low goals-against average in their upcoming friendlies. The Arsenal defender made the statement during a press conference in Singapore on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old centre-back pointed to his club's defensive record as a benchmark for the Seleção. «It is important not to concede goals. We have players of great quality, who are at big clubs,» said Gabriel Magalhães. Arsenal have kept seven clean sheets in their first ten Premier League matches this season.
He was one of the more experienced players called up by head coach Carlo Ancelotti for this international window. The squad also included Arthur Dias, Jonathan Jesus, Vitor Reis and Jair Cunha. Young defender Vitor Reis, 20, also spoke at the press conference about the responsibility of being part of the national team.
Gabriel Magalhães emphasised the weight of the famous yellow shirt. «The Brazil national team shirt is the heaviest in the world, so we try to pass on calm and responsibility to the new players,» he explained. The aim, he said, is for the younger members to enjoy every moment with the same composure.
Both friendlies will be held at the National Stadium in Singapore. The team's last outing was a 3-2 defeat to Japan last Saturday.
