Dunga stands up for Ronnie

Brazil coach Dunga has leapt to the defence of Barcelona star Ronaldinho.

The World and European Footballer of the Year has come in for some criticism in recent weeks and the media scrutinised his performance following the 4-0 win over Kuwait.

Dunga feels the criticism is unjust and will endeavour to speak to the Barca man to gauge his thoughts.

"I am worried about Ronaldinho so I am going to speak with him because I think that the criticism that he receives is not fair because he didn't have the same preparation as the rest of the players," stated Dunga. 

"He didn't have the chance to do a proper pre-season."

Dunga is convinced that Ronaldinho will soon find his true form.

"I am sure that he is going to turn this situation around soon so I want to talk to him so he knows that he has all our support and doesn't have to pay attention to the critics.

"Surely in three or four months he will be the Ronaldinho that everybody knows and is waiting for," added Dunga.

Dunga opted to make eight substitutions against Kuwait, a move designed to allow him to assess the fringe players in his squad.

"This match against Kuwait let me see in action nearly all the players of the team, which has been my intention since I took the job," he added. "I wanted to play as many players as possible.

"It is very important for me to see in action all the players that want to wear the Brazilian national team shirt.

"It's not enough to recall a player only because we know about his quality, they have to show on the pitch that they deserve a place in the team.

"I am satisfied with the performance of the team and this match helped me a lot for looking forward to the friendly that we will play against Ecuador on Wednesday."