So much for Federations not putting much importance on the Copa America results. Just two days after seeing his side losing 1-0 to Peru, Dunga has been sacked as the Brazil manager, a result that saw the Samba Boys fail to reach the knockout phase for the first time since 1987.
Dunga, who was sacked from his first spell in charge of the Selecao after their last-eight exit at the 2010 World Cup, said after the Peru game:
“The president of the federation knows what we do and how we work. When you work for the Brazilian team, you know very well that the criticism will intensify when results do not come.
“In Brazil we want everything to change in two minutes, but in football you must be patient.”
The Brazilian federation said in a statement:
“The CBF has taken the decision to dissolve the Brazilian national team’s technical committee. Team coordinator Gilmar Rinaldi and head coach Dunga, and his entire coaching team, will leave their positions. The CBF has now started the process of forming a new technical committee.”
The challenge for the next Brazil manager is that the Selecao is not very good. For years now Brazilian legends have warned that youth development in Brazilian clubs needs to be revamped.
“How come Brazil cannot produce a goal-scoring No. 9, for goodness sake?” ranted Rivelino, member of the mythical class of 1970, referring to the fact that since the 2008-09 European season, no Brazilian striker has finished as top scorer in any of the “Big Five” Leagues.
In seven weeks’ time, Brazil will travel to Ecuador for a game that could further dent the Seleção’s uninspiring quest to guarantee a place in Russia 2018. Brazil are currently in sixth place after six rounds of South American qualifiers, with 12 games still to play.
Conventional wisdom suggests they will still advance, but just two years on from the “Sete a Um” Brazilian football is struggling and replacing Dunga is not going to to a lot to change that.
