Colombia coach Jose Pekerman has complained about Barcelona’s treatment of Yerry Mina during his first few months at the Nou Camp, believing he should have been played more often. Mina made the switch from Brazil’s Palmeiras to Spain during the January transfer window after establishing himself as arguably the best centre-back in South America, but was featured very sparingly last season, much to the chagrin of Colombia coach Jose Pekerman.
Pekerman however selected him for the World Cup, assuring that he and Colombia have no doubts about the defender’s abilities. “We have no doubts about his skills,” Pekerman told reporters in Saransk on Monday. “We’ve never had doubts. We also think that he’s doing well and now that in the last few months in Barcelona he hasn’t played much and that’s not great, when he had to play they weren’t many expectations.”
He also disclosed that Mina will start in the team’s World Cup opener against Japan on Tuesday.