By Ricardo Setyon
July 17 – Brazil’s failure and early exit from the Copa America has prompted even more soul searching in-country, with commentators fearing that on current performance the team will not qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. A real possibility as their quarter final exit in Chile would not rank them in the qualifying slots.
The crisis has prompted Brazil’s current national team director, former agent Gilmar Rinaldi, to create a Strategic Development Council within the CBF, the Brazilian federation.
The group will evaluate, analyse and create new pathways for the national team and saving Brazilian football from falling into international wilderness abyss.
One of the triggers has been sponsors questioning the image and value of the players and the team, and the quality of the game being played by the “seleçao”.
Already it is getting harder to sell the rights to Brazil national team friendly matches, previously a lucrative, if controversial, business.
The composition of the new think-tank is causing almost as much speculation as who Brazil will lose to next. 1994 World Cup winner Carlos Alberto Parreira has been mentioned, while Zico has ruled himself out, as has Leonardo.
2014 World Cup manager Felipe Scolari is unavailable as he is coaching in China. Taffarel and Mauro Silva, champions from the 1994 team, and who were part of the technical staff at the Copa America, now seem to have been dropped.
Cafú, the World cup captain in 2002 could be part of the group, as could Mano Menezes, ex-coach of Brazil from the 2010 World Cup, and who has been jobless for around a year now.
Galvão Bueno, one of Brazilian television’s main commentators, says that Gilmar “confirmed that he has been talking not only with coaches, but also with players, journalists, managers, around Brazil. But he is also speaking with foreign coaches. At least four top quality coaches, of big clubs and teams in Europe were contacted.”
One name that did emerge came from Barcelona’s Dani Alves who, after returning from the Copa America, said that “Guardiola was ready to accept the job of National Coach of Brazil, immediately after the World Cup 2014. But at CBF, they decided not to take him”.
The 2018 World Cup qualifiers look like being the hardest ever for Brazil, and their participation is by no means guaranteed. This would not be the 2014 World Cup legacy that was planned for Brazilian football.
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