Brazil sack Dunga, players face angry backlash

SAO PAULO – Brazil coach Dunga and his entire coaching staff have been sacked after the team’s quarter-final exit from the World Cup.
The Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) released a statement on Sunday confirming the dismissals.

‘With the closing of the work cycle that started in August 2006 and ended with the elimination of Brazil from the World Cup in South Africa, the CBF announces the dismissal of the Technical Commission of the Brazilian team,’ the statement read.Brazilian players were met with insults and pushing and shoving from angry fans amid a welter of recriminations for their poor World Cup showing when they arrived in Rio. Aside from Dunga, the target for much of their ire was Felipe Melo, who deflected in Wesley Sneijder’s opener for the Dutch and then got himself sent off.Dunga, 46, had already indicated after his team’s surprise 2-1 quarter-final loss to the Netherlands that he would be stepping down after four years in the job. Dunga replaced Carlos Alberto Parreira in July 2006, immediately after the last World Cup. A hard-tackling midfielder in his playing days, Dunga captained the Brazil team that won the 1994 World Cup and finished runners-up four years later, but was a surprise choice as coach, having had no previous coaching experience.Despite that, he led Brazil to the Copa America in 2007, the Confederations Cup in 2009 and top of the South American World Cup qualifying group before it all came crashing down with the loss to the Dutch in Port Elizabeth. The CBF said in their statement that a new coach would be installed by the end of the month.Brazilian media immediately started speculating on the identity of Dunga’s successor whose job will be guiding the team on home soil at 2014 World Cup. The favourite is Scolari, who won the World Cup in 2002, although he has ruled himself out saying he intends to honour his contract with Palmeiras which runs until 2012.Other names being mentioned are Mano Menezes, currently coach at Corinthians, and ex-AC Milan boss Leonardo. Jorginho, who was Dunga’s assistant in South Africa, is also believed to be in the running.Brazil are due to play the United States at the new Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey in August and have a busy schedule over the next few years, including hosting the Confederations Cup in 2013 and the World Cup in 2014. – Nampa-Reuters