Brazil eyes Dunga as Scolari successor

RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) ― Brazil could appoint former coach Dunga to replace Luiz Felipe Scolari as national team boss, media reports indicated Saturday, despite ex-Corinthians coach Tite being considered the longtime favorite.

The Brazilian Football Confederation earlier confirmed it will unveil its choice of Scolari’s successor on Tuesday at 11 a.m. in western Rio and a clutch of Brazilian newspapers said Dunga, 50, would return for a second spell.

The front-runner, at least until Saturday, was believed to be Tite, full name Adenor Leonardo Bacchi, who oversaw wins in the Copa Libertadores and FIFA Club World Cup, at Chelsea’s expense, in 2012.

Last Thursday, the CBF Thursday took the wraps off a revamped technical commission under new technical coordinator Gilmar Rinaldi, replacing Carlos Alberto Parreira, the coach of the Brazil side that won the World Cup in 1994.

Gilmar ― not to be confused with the Gilmar who kept goal for the 1958 and 1962 world champions ― was a reserve keeper on the 1994 championship-winning side, which was skippered by Dunga.

Outgoing CBF president Jose Maria Marin, who will give way next year to septuagenarian lawyer Marco Polo Del Nero, said the federation would reflect further on the top job before a final decision.

Dunga, who replaced Parreira in the top job after the 2006 World Cup, went on to lead Brazil to Copa America success in 2007 and then won the Confederations Cup in 2009.

But the former Fiorentina midfielder was fired after a 2010 World Cup quarterfinal loss to Holland.

The CBF would Saturday only reiterate that Marin would present the new man on Tuesday but Rio daily O Dia described Dunga as “close to returning,” highlighting his “good relationship” with Gilmar.

O Globo indicated for its part reported that Gilmar and Dunga had reached a rapid agreement in principle with the CBF electing not to pursue the Tite option.