Richarlison of Tottenham has criticized manager Antonio Conte for not giving him more playing time this year despite form from world cup.
The 25-year-old international from Brazil moved to Tottenham from Everton in a £60 million transfer last summer, but he has since started just seven Premier League games.
Richarlison, who has previously missed time due to injury, entered the game in the 70th minute as AC Milan eliminated Spurs from the Champions League on Wednesday.
“I should have played,” he said.
In an interview with Brazilian TV station TNT Sports following the game on Wednesday, he added: “I was playing well, we won against Chelsea and West Ham and suddenly I was on the bench.
“I played five minutes against Wolves, asked the reason and no-one told me why. Yesterday, they asked me to take a fitness test in the gym and told me I was going to start today if I passed it.
“And today I was on the bench. There are things I can’t understand. There was no explanation again, let’s see what he [Conte] will tell us tomorrow – but I’m not silly, I’m a professional who works hard every day and I want to play.”
After Milan advanced on aggregate in Wednesday’s 0-0 tie, Tottenham were eliminated from the Champions League in the round of 16.
Richarlison has played 661 minutes in the Premier League so far this year, scoring just once for the team against Marseille in the Champions League in September.
“There hasn’t been enough minutes given to me. I don’t have enough minutes, was injured for a bit, but when I’m on the pitch I give my life,” he confirmed.
“I played well in two games, especially against Chelsea, so I think I should have played tonight, but I can’t go on crying about it now.”
The fourth-placed Premier League team, Tottenham, will play Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
“We have 12 games to play now and the focus is that,” the Brazilian striker said.
“I’ll try to score as many goals as I can because the club has paid a lot of money for me and I haven’t given enough back on the pitch yet.
“Fair to say my injuries didn’t help and I haven’t had enough minutes. But now I’ll go home, rest, train tomorrow and see if he’ll put me in the first XI next game.”
Richarlison
Richarlison de Andrade (born May 10, 1997) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays forward for Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur and the Brazil national team. He goes by the moniker Richarlison.
He started his professional career in 2015 with América Mineiro, where he spent just one season before switching to Fluminense after being promoted from the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B.
Throughout his two years there, he played in 67 games, scored 19 goals, and was chosen to the team of the season after the team finished second in the 2017 Campeonato Carioca.
After that, he joined Watford and then Everton a year later. In 2022, he subsequently joined with Tottenham Hotspur.
In 2018, Richarlison made his senior international debut for Brazil.
He played on the squad that won the 2019 Copa América, finished second in the 2021 Copa América, won the gold medal at the 2020 Olympics, and finished third at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Transfer to Tottenham Hotspurs
Richarlison was signed by Tottenham Hotspur on July 1, 2022, with a deal lasting until 2027 and requiring a work permit. The initial signing fee was £50 million, plus a further £10 million in possible add-ons.
On August 20, Richarlison earned his first assist for his new team during a 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest.
Richarlison’s showboating during that game was widely reported in the media. Callum Wilson and Michail Antonio called it “disrespectful,” but Neil Warnock complimented it and urged Richarlison to keep entertaining the crowd.
He scored both goals in a 2-0 victory over Marseille on September 7 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, his first goals for the team, on his Champions League debut.
