March 31 – Brazil have dismissed manager Dorival Junior following the disappointing results in World Cup qualifying that culminated with last week’s 4-1 defeat at the hands of Argentina.
On Friday, after days of speculation, the Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF) and Dorival (pictured) parted ways after the stinging defeat in Buenos Aires, the biggest loss to Argentina since 1964.
In January, last year Dorival took over from interim manager Fernando Diniz who never got Brazil on the rails as the CBF flirted with Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti. Dorival had won the Copa Libertadores and the Brazilian Cup with Flamengo, but he failed to impress with Brazil, winning only seven of his 16 matches. Brazil exited the 2024 Copa America early and struggled in the World Cup qualifiers.
In a statement, CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues said: “Now we will work to search a successor. That what has been written about contact with A, B or C didn’t pass through the president. From now on, we will search a successor to keep the stability of the national team.”
The CBF wants to bring in a successor by June’s international window. That rules out Ancelotti, leaving Jorge Jesus as the frontrunner according to Brazilian media. In 2019, Jesus turned his reign at Flamengo into a victory parade, winning the Brazilian league and the Copa Libertadores, with attacking football. He is managing Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, the club Neymar departed after injuries sidelined him.
The new manager will have a mountain to climb. With the World Cup expansion to 48 teams, Brazil – the only team to have participated in every single World Cup – should have little difficulty in qualifying for the finals, but there will be precious little time to make the team competitive for the tournament.
They are fourth in the South American qualifying standings, a point above sixth-place Colombia. At the last World Cup, the Brazilians exited in the quarter-finals again, prompting the departure of manager Tite and a prolonged crisis as the rebuild of the team has repeatedly foundered.
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