Brazil has officially released head coach Dorival Júnior from his duties, following a disappointing 4-1 defeat to arch-rivals Argentina on Tuesday, with the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) announcing the decision on Friday. This defeat in Buenos Aires marked Brazil’s heaviest loss in World Cup qualifying history, an event that has shaken the team’s prospects and further complicated their journey toward the upcoming global tournament.
In a formal statement, the CBF expressed gratitude towards Dorival, stating, “The Brazilian Football Confederation announces that coach Dorival Júnior will no longer be in charge of the Brazilian National Team. The board thanks the professional and wishes him success in his continued career. From now on, the CBF will work to find a replacement.” This announcement comes as a significant shift for a national team that has been struggling to regain its footing since the last World Cup, where they experienced a disappointing quarterfinal exit against Croatia.
Dorival, who is 62 years old, had taken responsibility for the underwhelming performances of the team and remained hopeful about their chances of recovery. Nevertheless, following a meeting between CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues and Dorival, the hard decision was made to part ways. His tenure included a record of 7 wins, 7 draws, and only 2 losses across 16 matches. Unfortunately, this record was not enough to secure Brazil a spot in the next World Cup, set to take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Throughout Dorival’s time at the helm, he faced the challenge of not having Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, Neymar, available due to a series of injuries, which undoubtedly impacted the team’s performance. When Dorival was appointed, the CBF aimed for stability after a period of turmoil post-2022 World Cup, looking to move past the disappointment of the penalty shootout loss to Croatia that led to former coach Tite’s dismissal.
Previously, Dorival had enjoyed considerable success with Flamengo in 2022, winning both the Copa Libertadores and the Brazilian Cup, a title he replicated with São Paulo the following year. However, he was not the primary candidate for the CBF role, as the board had originally pursued Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti before eventually settling on Dorival.
His coaching debut for Brazil showed promise with a friendly victory over England and an impressive draw in Spain. Yet, the enthusiasm was short-lived, and the team struggled to find consistency. Criticism intensified following Brazil’s Copa América quarterfinal elimination by Uruguay, where they could only manage one win in the group stage before being eliminated through a penalty shootout against a depleted Uruguayan side.
The latest match against Argentina, characterized by a lack of offensive momentum—evident with the team registering only one shot on target despite the presence of skillful players like Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, Raphinha, and Matheus Cunha—proved to be the final straw. Brazil’s current qualifying campaign has been historically challenging, as they find themselves in fourth place in the South American standings, holding just 21 points, precariously sitting just above Colombia for the last direct qualifying spot.
The implications of this defeat and the overall performance have raised alarms about Brazil’s capability to reclaim its status in international football, as they have recorded their worst qualifying figures in history, with five losses and 16 goals conceded over 14 matches.
Facing such adversity, Brazil will next participate in World Cup qualifiers in June, where they will take on Ecuador away before hosting Paraguay. In the interim, the CBF is tasked with finding a suitable replacement for Dorival, with reports suggesting that Jorge Jesus, currently coaching Al Hilal, could be a leading candidate due to his previous success with Flamengo. Ancelotti, for his part, reiterated his commitment to Real Madrid amidst ongoing speculation regarding his potential interest in the role.
World of sports 
Leave a comment