Scolari to Await Brazilian Football Confederation’s Decision Over His Fate
By Opeyemi Oladunjoye
Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has revealed he will have to wait some days to know whether he will keep his job despite leading the country through a disappointing World Cup campaign.
Brazil’s tournament ended in a typically underwhelming fashion on Saturday as they were beaten 3-0 by Holland in the third-place play-off. Five days earlier Scolari led the team to one of their most humiliating defeats in history, losing 7-1 to Germany.
The home fans made their displeasure towards the coach and his players clear at the final whistle by booing them off the pitch.
Prompted by his refusal to resign, Scolari was asked in his post-match press conference whether he thought he remained the right man for the job. He said: “That has to be decided by the president of the Brazilian Football Confederation.
“We agreed before this tournament that we would give our positions at the end of the World Cup. I will finish my report and the president and the board will analyse it and do as they wish.”
It is the first time that Brazil had suffered consecutive home defeats since 1940. Scolari however denied the whole tournament had been a disaster for the host nation.
“Losing 7-1 was the worst result in history but I have to see the positive side of things,” Scolari added. “In 2006 we didn’t finish in the final four and neither did we in 2010.
“In a year-and-a-half we have reached the last four of the World Cup and we have won the Confederations Cup. We have to be optimistic.”
“Today I don’t think it was a bad match. There is nothing I can criticise the players for. We played this match reasonably well. The players leave with my trust and happiness. If we continue the work then the path is open for a team that will be much better for 2018.”
