Brazil names Dorival Junior as new head coach

Listen to Story Brazil's Football Confederation (CBF) has officially appointed Dorival Junior as the new coach of the national men's football team. The 61 year old, who recently decided to depart from Sao Paulo, will take over from interim coach Fernando Diniz, who was sacked by the CBF on Friday.

"Dorival Junior is the new coach of the men's national team. He will be presented at a news conference this Thursday at the CBF headquarters in Rio de Janeiro," the CBF said in a statement. Dorival steps into the coaching role amid a tumultuous period for Brazil, triggered by their 2022 World Cup exit in a penalty shootout loss to Croatia, resulting in the dismissal of coach Tite.

Following this, Under 20 coach Ramon Menezes briefly led the team before the interim appointment of Diniz last year. Diniz's tenure ended abruptly on Friday, coinciding with Ednaldo Rodrigues' reinstatement as head of the CBF, who had previously been dismissed in December by the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice.

Dorival Jºnior é o novo treinador da Seleç£o Brasileira Masculina. A entrevista coletiva com o técnico será realizada nesta quinta feira (11), s 15h, na sede da CBF, no Rio de Janeiro (RJ). — CBF Futebol (@CBF_Futebol) Initially aiming to bring in Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, Rodrigues' plans changed when Ancelotti extended his contract with Real Madrid.

Subsequently, Dorival emerged as the primary candidate for the coaching position. Dorival, renowned for guiding Flamengo to victory in the Copa Libertadores and the Brazilian Cup in 2022 before his stint at Sao Paulo, has an extensive coaching background with clubs like Atletico Mineiro, Athletico Paranaense, Internacional, Vasco da Gama, Fluminense, and Palmeiras.

As Brazil currently stands sixth in the South American World Cup qualifying standings, having won only two of their six games and suffered three defeats, Dorival faces the challenging task of revitalizing the team's performance..