Guardiola gives the cue to the CBF: he wants to coach a national team – 02/23/2024 – The World Is a Ball

The Brazilian Football Confederation recently failed miserably in its attempt to bring in a top foreign coach to manage the Brazilian team.

The entity headed by Ednaldo Rodrigues believed that the Italian Carlo Ancelotti, 64, would lead Brazil this year, starting in June, when his contract with Real Madrid ended.

This is without the essential signing of a contract.

What happened: at the end of last year, Ancelotti renewed with Real, leaving the CBF to see ships – one of them, the national team itself, kind of sinking due to a terrible 2023 under Ramon Menezes and, later, Fernando Diniz.

The confederation then turned to Dorival Júnior, 61, Brazilian Cup champion with São Paulo, who will make his debut next month, in friendlies against England and Spain.

His contract runs until the end of the 2026 World Cup, for which he will first need to qualify the currently struggling team.

So let’s go with Dorival and good luck to him, as everything indicates that he will need it.

Let us think, however, about the aftermath, whether Dorival is successful or not. And let’s think big.

Let’s think of Pep Guardiola, 53, the best coach in the world, in charge of the national team.

This was not thought of before, in recent times, because the Spaniard who won everything with Manchester City (national championships and cups, Champions League, Club World Cup) was focused only on the English team.

This, however, has changed. Guardiola gave an interview to ESPN in which he asked what he still wants in his professional career.

The answer: “A national team. I would like to have the experience of living in a World Cup, a European Championship, a Copa América, whatever. I would like to experience that.”

Guardiola did not say when, especially because he has a contract with Man City until mid-2025.

In my mind, ending this relationship, he will take a one-year sabbatical, which will culminate in the 2026 World Cup (hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico), and will then be ready to begin a cycle with a top team.

Although he, in the interview, appeared humble and said that you need to know which team wants him, they all want Guardiola.

This leads to this question: which team does Guardiola want? He must have his preferences, and it is certain that one of them, perhaps the biggest, is the Brazilian team.

Just over a decade ago, before the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the Spaniard expressed his desire to take on the role, but there were no negotiations, and after leaving Barcelona he ended up at Bayern Munich.

The fact is that Guardiola, even before becoming a coach, has always been an admirer of Brazilian football since he was young.

More than once he praised Brazil in 1970 (three-time champion in Mexico), Brazil in 1982 (which enchanted and lost in Spain), São Paulo in 1992 (intercontinental champion against Guardiola’s Barcelona).

Brazilian players were with him in recent years at Man City, they were prestigious and triumphed: Gabriel Jesus, Fernandinho, Danilo, Ederson – the latter is still there.

Therefore, and knowing Pep’s desire, Brazil needs to make it clear from now on that they want him.

The CBF – I refuse to raise the hypothesis that the entity does not consider hiring the top of the tops – needs to make contact with him now and leave the doors wide open for the multi-time champion to arrive in Brazil for the 2027-2030 cycle.

It’s too early to sign a contract, but it’s important to mark your territory. Stating “we went after him, we spoke to him”. And make Guardiola take a stand.

It would certainly have to be a defined and immediate position. No slippery answers like “I’m flattered, let’s see, I’ll think about it”. Either you want it or you don’t want it.

If you don’t want to, there’s nothing you can do and think of alternatives. Dorival is successful and it is viable to continue; Abel Ferreira, 53, will take on the challenge; It will be Renato Gaúcho’s turn, 53 (I would like to see him there one day).

Only Ancelotti is banned. He snubbed “Amarelinha”, as Zagallo said when referring to the Brazilian team, he’s out, let him stay in Europe.

But, if Guardiola wants, let Brazil allow itself this opportunity.

It may not even work out, because in football only one wins and dozens lose, but it is necessary to take advantage of the rare chance to count on him.

That he would come full of motivation and extremely eager to win what he doesn’t yet have: the Copa América and the World Cup. Commitment and desire would not be lacking.

Historically, even if not currently, the best football in the world deserves (more than deserves, needs) to have the supreme coaches.

Even if it is for the “futures market”, this is not the time to blink.