Sao Paulo : Corinthians boss Tite was named as the new coach of Brazil, succeeding Dunga, who was sacked after the team’s humiliating exit from the Copa America, his club revealed. But the task of turning around a lackluster Brazil in time for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August will fall to current under-20s coach Micale, said the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). Brazil is battling to find its form in time to host the Olympics, where it has never won gold, and to save its qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup.
But Dunga, the man appointed to turn things around after the embarrassment of the team’s 7-1 World Cup semi-final thrashing by Germany on home soil in 2014, failed to deliver results fast enough. Tite — whose real name is Adenor Leonardo Bacchi — had been widely touted as his successor after the CBF sacked Dunga and his entire staff on Tuesday, and Corinthians president Roberto de Andrade confirmed the move.
“Tite no longer works at Corinthians. He accepted the CBF’s invitation,” he said. The Brazilian Football Confederation has not confirmed the appointment, but officials there met with Tite on Tuesday.
Tite, 55, has coached a string of top clubs in Brazil, including Gremio, Atletico Mineiro and Palmeiras, as well as Al Ain and Al Wahda in the United Arab Emirates. He has spent three trophy-studded stints at Corinthians, leading the Sao Paulo club to two Brazilian league titles, in 2011 and 2015, and the Copa Sudamericana in 2013. In 2012, he coached them to a double championship of the regional Copa Libertadores and Club World Cup.
The national team’s string of humiliating losses is just one more blow to Brazil’s morale as the country struggles through a deep recession, political turmoil and a huge corruption scandal. Tite is known as a coach with a talent for turning things around. But he faces an uphill battle to return Brazil to its glory days, said influential sports columnist Juca Kfouri.
