Brazil has dismissed head coach Dorival Júnior following Tuesday’s deflating loss to rivals Argentina, Brazil’s football confederation (CBF) announced Friday.
Argentina won 4-1 in Buenos Aires, despite the absence of its talismanic captain Lionel Messi, to inflict Brazil’s heaviest ever loss in World Cup qualifying.
“The Brazilian Football Confederation announces that coach Dorival Júnior will no longer be in charge of the Brazilian National Team,” the CBF said in a statement. “The board thanks the professional and wishes him success in his continued career. From now on, the CBF will work to find a replacement.”
Dorival, who took full responsibility for his team’s poor showing, remained confident that he could turn things around.
However, following Friday’s meeting between CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues and Dorival, a decision was taken to part ways.
Dorival, 62, leaves the national team with a record of 7 wins, 7 draws and 2 defeats from his 16 games in charge, with Brazil not yet guaranteed a place in next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Throughout his spell, Dorival has not been able to count on the services of Brazil’s all-time leading scorer Neymar because of the player’s injury issues.
The former São Paulo manager had been appointed to bring stability after a turbulent period since Brazil’s 2022 World Cup quarterfinal exit due to a penalty shootout loss to Croatia, which led to the sacking of former coach Tite.
Dorival was handed the job after his success with Flamengo in 2022 where he won the Copa Libertadores and Brazilian Cup, a trophy he lifted again the next year with São Paulo. However, he was not the CBF’s first choice, with Rodrigues having initially set his sights on Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Despite promising signs with a 1-0 friendly win over England and a 3-3 draw in Spain in Dorival’s first games in charge, Brazil never took off.
The coach came under fire last July after Brazil’s Copa América quarterfinal exit at the hands of Uruguay, Brazil failed to impress and won just one of their group games before losing 4-2 in a penalty shootout against 10-man Uruguay after a goalless draw.
That tournament was won by 2022 World Cup winner Argentina.
But it was Tuesday’s embarrassing loss, Brazil’s fifth defeat in qualifying and its first since a 1-0 setback at Paraguay in September, that sealed Dorival’s fate.
Despite boasting an attack that includes Real Madrid duo Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo, Barcelona’s Raphinha and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha, Brazil had just one shot on target.
The CBF has not yet named a replacement for Dorival.
Sources have told ESPN Brasil that Al Hilal’s Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus is the leading candidate to replace Dorival. Jesus previously enjoyed a successful spell in charge of Rio de Janeiro giants Flamengo, leading the team to the Copa Libertadores title in 2019.
Ancelotti, who has once again been linked with the role following the defeat to Argentina, again pledged his loyalty to Real Madrid on Friday.
“My contract [until June 2026] speaks for itself,” Ancelotti said at a news conference. “I don’t have anything to add. I have a lot of affection for the Brazil team, its players and fans. But I have a contract at Real Madrid.”
Brazil is in the midst of its worst World Cup qualifying campaign. The team is fourth in the South American standings with 21 points, a point above sixth-place Colombia, which currently occupies the final direct qualifying berth.
Never has Brazil lost so many games, conceded so many goals or set so many negative records in the qualifying competition. It has lost five of its 14 games and conceded 16 goals.
Brazil is back in action in June when it visits Ecuador and hosts Paraguay in its next World Cup qualifiers.
Information from Reuters was used in this report.
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