40 years ago, the national team went into crisis and changed coaches – 03/27/2023 – Sport

Just like in 2023, 40 years ago Brazil lived in an impasse over the position of coach of the national team. If now the president of the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation), Ednaldo Rodrigues, imagines what is the best option to replace Tite after the World Cup in Qatar, in 1983 Giulite Coutinho thought about what to do with the vacancy opened with the departure of Telê Santana after the World Cup in Spain.

Rodrigues wants to start the cycle for the 2026 tournament with a new project ready. The Italian Carlo Ancelotti is the favorite of the board of directors of the confederation and of part of the players. All they must avoid is a repeat of what happened four decades ago. In the space of almost two years, the selection had three coaches.

Everything happened. Bad football, unexpected results, boycott of the players to the press, marriage crises, defeats in Maracanã, curses from the president of the CBF and an almost permanent crisis process. The main Brazilian victory in the period occurred in the coin toss.

“Without a long-term project, it’s difficult to succeed. Managers need to know what they want”, said Carlos Alberto Parreira, when he was fired in November 1983.

His hiring had been quite a turnaround. If Ednaldo Rodrigues guarantees that he will choose the new coach of the national team alone, Parreira being hired was a personal decision of Coutinho, then newly elected.

“He will be our coach in Mexico, in 1986”, stated Coutinho.

It was not. It didn’t even come close. Parreira had a plan to renew the team, but he lasted 11 months in the job. Newspapers like Sheet they called their work, after the first training session, a “revolution”.

“I consider Parreira’s choice to be disrespectful to coaches who have been working in Brazil for many years”, shot Aymoré Moreira, world champion coach in 1962.

It is a criticism that Ednaldo Rodrigues will listen to if the name selected now is that of a foreigner.

In 14 games, Parreira won five, drew seven and lost two. What sealed his fate was the 1983 Copa América, with round-trip knockout matches.

Brazil were beaten in the final by Uruguay after losing in Montevideo and drawing in Salvador. It reached the decision only because, in the semifinal, after two draws with Paraguay, it qualified in the coin toss.

“I’m sure the team will improve”, he defended after losing the continental tournament, as if asking for time.

Coutinho decided that the team, as they had months to go until the next friendly, needed a fresh start. Parreira went to Fluminense to be Brazilian champion in 1984 and resume the path that would make him return to the CBF to win the 1994 Cup.

“I am impressed with his resourcefulness. He has everything to be our coach at the World Cup in Mexico”, praised CBF director of football, Dilson Guedes.

The target of praise was Edu Coimbra, America-RJ’s historic top scorer and Zico’s brother. He was Parreira’s replacement. Despite such confidence, he was only given a one-month contract. He was in charge of leading the team in three friendlies in 1984. It would be a test.

“I am confident that it will work and I will continue”, said Edu.

He, at the time, was also coach of Vasco.

The words had no resonance on the pitch. The team was booed in two of the three games under his command. And he took one of the most beautiful goals in the history of Maracanã when John Barnes sewed up the Brazilian defense, dribbled goalkeeper Roberto Costa and opened the scoring for the English victory by 2-0.

Roberto Dinamite claimed that the boos were because of the economic crisis in the country, not because of the bad football.

Edu would leave the Brazilian team after a goalless draw with Argentina and a 1-0 victory over Uruguay, with a goal by Arturzinho.

“I’m going to write a report recommending Edu’s stay”, praised Guedes again.

Coutinho didn’t want to know about that conversation and replaced him with Evaristo de Macedo, who led the team in a period poor in results (three wins and three defeats) and rich in confusion. That’s what wrecked yet another work plan to prepare for the Qualifiers.

Casagrande complained about the tactical scheme, Sócrates went to the press to complain about not being called up. Convocados and Evaristo were irritated by the press coverage. Before the friendly match with Chile, in 1985, the athletes released a manifesto in which they stated that they would no longer speak to journalists. Giulite Coutinho traveled to Chile to calm things down and was caught cursing journalists.

The coach detonated marital crisis in player marriages. When reminded that the athletes had been away from home for a long time and without sex, he replied that that problem was “being solved in the best way”.

Brazil lost to Chile, and Evaristo ended up fired on the flight that took the delegation back to São Paulo. According to journalist Juca Kfouri, columnist for Sheet, the replacement was also on board. SBT commentator, Telê Santana followed the selection’s matches and was invited back by Giulite Coutinho.

It was he who would lead the team in the Mexico Cup, in 1986, bringing the stability that the CBF was looking for.