SUMMARY
- Dorival Jr. has been announced as the new head coach of the Brazil National Soccer Team.
- Fernando Diniz was appointed as the interim manager, but he too was axed in January 2024 after Brazil's poor run of form in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Dorival Jr. has been announced as the new head coach of the Brazil National Soccer Team. The Brazilian FA ended months of speculation to appoint the 61-year-old as their new coach until the 2026 World Cup. Speculations regarding the high-profile position had been going on for a long, with many heavyweights emerging.
The previous manager Tite had stepped down from his position after a disappointing World Cup campaign in 2022. The 49-year-old Fernando Diniz was appointed as the interim manager, but he too was axed in January 2024 after Brazil’s poor run of form in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. This paved the way for the appointment of Dorival Jr. as the permanent manager of the ‘Selecao’.
Dorival Júnior has signed as new Brazil national team head coach#Brazil pic.twitter.com/z6Xs1hYtYW
— Football Express (@FootballExpres7) January 8, 2024
The 62-year-old is quite experienced in the Brazilian soccer circuit. He has coached multiple first and second-division teams of the Brazilian soccer pyramid winning numerous titles. Dorival Jr. was coaching Sao Paulo FC before joining the Brazil National Soccer Team.
His long career spanning almost two decades has taken him to some of the biggest clubs in Brazil. The 62-year-old has guided the ships of clubs like Palmeiras, Sao Paolo, Fluminense, Flamengo, Cruzeiro, etc. With his recent club, Sao Paolo, Dorival Jr. made history by winning the club’s first-ever Copa Do Brasil title in 2023.
Obrigado Dorival Jr., obrigado por proporcionar inúmeros bons momentos pro torcedor são paulino no ano de 2023 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/4ziytXty5b
— gui (@callwrii) January 7, 2024
His greatest managerial achievement came in 2022 when he won the Copa Libertadores with Flamengo. Among his other achievements include a Recopa Sudamericana with SC Internacional in 2011 and a Serie B title with Vasco Da Gama. He has also won two Copa Do Brasil titles with Santos in 2010 and Flamengo in 2022.
Brazilian fans know Dorival Jr. because of his preferred attacking style of soccer with a 4-2-3-1 formation. He gives freedom to the wingbacks to go forward while maintaining a mid-block. While defending, Dorival’s men put two men in front of the 4-man defense, to recover possession and prevent counter attacks.
Brazilian FA quashes rumors of Carlo Ancelotti and appoints Dorival Jr. as the new head coach
Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti looked to be the favorite to sign as the new head coach of the ‘Selecao’. The Brazilian FA President Ednaldo Rodrigues even prematurely announced that the Italian manager would sign as the new head coach of Brazil starting from the Copa America in 2024
Ednaldo was all praises for Ancelotti when he said, “Our plan A is Carlo Ancelotti, and we’ve a feeling that it will happen. He loves the Brazilian national team, he knows many players and also Brazilian football.”
But the Italian manager put an end to the rumors by extending his contract at Real Madrid until 2026 in December 2023. This made Dorival Jr. the front-runner in the race for the position of Brazil’s head coach position. For the 62-year-old, his appointment is an achievement of a lifelong dream. Dorival Jr. had to climb the stairs of Brazilian soccer to reach this coveted position.
Brazilian Federation president Ednaldo: “Our plan A is Carlo Ancelotti, and we’ve a feeling that it will happen”. 🚨⚪️🇧🇷 #Brazil
“He loves the Brazilian national team, he knows many players and also Brazilian football”, told UOL Esporte. pic.twitter.com/74yayJL57Y
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 28, 2023
In a statement released by Sao Paolo FC, the manager said (via Diario AS), “This is the realization of a personal dream, only made possible because I received recognition for the work done at São Paulo. For this reason, I must thank them for being part of this important period of reconstruction, competently led by the presidency and the board of directors.
The 62-year-old manager thanked the Sao Paolo FC fans for their affection and support. It would be interesting to see how Dorival Jr. guides the ‘Selecao’ in the upcoming tournaments.
