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New coach Brazil names Leao to head national team
Updated: Thursday October 19, 2000 3:12 PM
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) - The Brazilian Soccer Confederation on Wednesday selected Sport de Recife manager Emerson Leao to head Brazil's national team, filling the post left open when Wanderley Luxemburgo was fired. Leao will have to work under Antonio Lopes, who on Sunday as selected for the newly created position of team coordinator. In making the announcement at a news conference, Lopes said that after analyzing the names of several coaches working in Brazil, he picked Leao "because he is the best qualified." "It's a big responsibility," Leao said. "In Brazil manager is a very tough job, but it is also a very gratifying job." It was not immediately clear what responsibilities would fall to the manager and which would belong to the coordinator. "Managing the technical commission will be participative and we want the participation of all commission members. I am certain that Leao will listen to me and I'm sure that he will ask for my opinion," Lopes said, explaining the arrangement. The choice of Leao was well received in Brazil even though he was not the first choice and a number of big name coaches apparently turned the job down. "It was a great choice. I believe that his international experience, having been in four World Cups, made the difference," said Carlos Alberto Parreira, who led Brazil to their 1994 World Cup victory and was recently mentioned by Pele as the best person to head the team. Parreira was quoted by the Lancenet webpage. The 51-year-old Leao was a goalkeeper for Brazil during the 1970, 1974, 1978, and 1986 World Cups - he was not called up for the 1982 World Cu and instead served as a commentator for TV Globo - as well as leading Sport to third place in this year's ongoing national championship. As a goalkeeper, Leao played for such major teams as Palmeiras, Gremio, Corinthians and Vasco. His managing experience includes Conmebol Cup titles with Santos and Atletico Mineiro and a national championship with Sport de Recife at the beginning of his coaching career. He also has managed Palmeiras, Gremio, Atletico Mineiro, Atletico Paranaense, Coritiba and Santos during his 14 year managing career. He also spent four years in Japan managing Verdy Kawaski and Shimizu S-Pulse. Brazil's national team has been without a full-time coach since Luxemburgo was fired this month after Brazil's embarrassing 2-1 loss to Cameroon in the Sydney Olympics. Assistant coach Candinho filled in on an interim basis when the team faced Venezuela this month in a World Cup qualifier, which Brazil won 6-0. In an unexpected move, Candinho stepped down when Lopes was announced as coordinator, leaving Brazil temporarily manager-less ahead of next month's World Cup qualifier against Colombia.
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