The man who crossed Scolari and lived to tell the tale is now key to Tottenham Hotspur's plans for the new Premier League season, and any untrained observers might be puzzled where the rebellious instinct comes from. On the outside Paulinho, or José Paulo Bezerra Maciel Júnior to give him his full name, could easily contest a shyness contest with Chelsea's Oscar. Inside, however, lies a fierce determination.
"Football is a game where you have to do a bit of everything if you want your team to have the edge," says Paulinho, who played the full 90 minutes in Brazil's 1-0 defeat by Switzerland on Wednesday. "Matches are decided by details and you have to be ready to create spaces and help open up defences. It is what I have to do."