Brazil's Dani Alves on Saturday hit out at former England star Alan Shearer for "moronic" comments that show a "lack of respect" to his team-mate Fred.
Shearer, the former England captain who now works as a pundit for the BBC , reportedly told Brazilian website UOL in an interview on Friday that Fred "brings the Brazil team down" and that "Brazil are playing with 10 men all the time".
Alves responded by fiercely defending the 30-year-old Fluminense striker — whose most notable contribution has been his theatrical dive in the opening game against Croatia to win a dubious penalty — during a press conference at the Brazil team's training base in Teresopolis on Saturday.
"Those are the most moronic comments that you could hear, all the more so from someone who played and knows how difficult it is," said the Barcelona right-back.
"It is a lack of respect. He diminished a fellow professional. It is shameful," he added of Shearer, now 43, who played for England at the 1998 World Cup in France.
"Playing football seems easy, but it is not. If it were all players would be rich."
Fred has failed to muster even a shot on goal in either of Brazil's two World Cup games so far and was substituted midway through the second half of Tuesday's 0-0 draw with Mexico in Fortaleza, being replaced by Jo.
