Confusion in the association, too few points in the World Cup qualification: With Dorival Júnior, a largely unknown figure in Europe now has the chance to get Brazil back on track as national coach.
The next World Cup will be the first with 48 teams. In 2026, around a quarter of all member associations of the world association FIFA will be represented in the USA, Mexico and Canada. The proportion of South American associations is even significantly higher. Instead of the previously guaranteed five starting places, there will soon be six for the only ten associations. Anyone who completes the qualification in seventh place in the league system can even take part in a playoff tournament.
The regulations could still be important for an association that rarely cares about qualification because it sees itself as a permanent title contender for the finals. After all, Brazil is Brazil, the record world champions with already five stars on their jersey.
However, things are currently bad for the “Seleção”, as they have lost three and won only two of the six qualifying games so far. She takes sixth place. For Fernando Diniz, who had only been appointed as national coach on an interim basis, it must have been clear that he would not keep the job for long. After all, he made it from the (European) summer of 2023 into the winter and into 2024. Now his time is over, even if the Brazilian association had not yet officially announced by midday on Monday (January 8th, 2024) that Diniz had been released and Dorival Júnior as new national coach was appointed.
FC São Paulo completed this task because they officially announced that Dorival Júnior was no longer their coach because he would be the national coach in the future. Júnior, 61 years old, asked to be released from the contract because he wanted to “fulfill a lifelong dream.” This request was granted, said FC São Paulo.
Things are probably a little worse for the Brazilian Football Association than for the “Seleção”. In any case, “chaos” is often mentioned when reports are made about the “Confederação Brasileira de Futebol” (CBF).
Kai Laufen, sports show, January 6th, 2024 10:17 a.m
This is mainly due to Ednaldo Rodrigues. The president of the CBF was initially suspended as president by a court in December 2023 because there were said to be irregularities in his election.
Christmas greetings with threat
FIFA therefore combined its Christmas greetings with the threat of excluding the CBF from the competitions, because the football association prohibits – officially and sometimes selectively – the interference of anyone who does not belong to the so-called family.
After Christmas, another court announced through an interim injunction that Ednaldo Rodrigues could be president again. This solved a problem for the official. Another big one was still there, because Carlo Ancelotti decided that he wanted to coach Real Madrid in the coming season.
It had previously been said that the 64-year-old Italian would take over the “Seleção” from the (European) summer of 2024.
Subject to the official announcement, this will now be done by Dorival Júnior, who has in common with Ancelotti that he has already won the most important club trophy on his home continent as a coach.
Lots of traditional clubs
Júnior led Flamengo, a traditional club from the capital Rio de Janeiro, to triumph in the Copa Libertadores, the South American equivalent of the European Champions League, in 2022.
Unlike Carlo Ancelotti, Dorival Júnior has only worked in his home country. His CV is filled with working at traditional clubs, be it as a player at Palmeiras, Gremio and Botafogo and also as a coach at Cruzeiro, Vasco da Gama, FC Santos, Fluminense and, and, and.
The relevant sources list 25 coaching positions since 2002 and so, purely mathematically, the suspicion arises that Dorival Júnior didn’t last very long anywhere. He still had successes, not only winning the Copa Libertadores, but also national championships and cups.
Now he will soon be officially given the task of making Brazil world champions in 2026. It might be the last chance for the then 34-year-old Neymar. Dorival Júnior already worked with the eccentric superstar at FC Santos in 2010. It is said that the coach refused to allow the then young star to take a penalty. Neymar then shouted at him angrily.
2024-01-08 22:54:55
#Brazils #national #coach #Dorival #Júnior #hope #weakening #Seleção
