The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has sacked Fernando Diniz as the coach of the men’s national team.

Diniz was sacked on Friday, January 5, 2024, after a string of lackluster results for Brazil in World Cup qualifying.

Fans had hoped Diniz, 49, who also coaches Rio de Janeiro club Fluminense, would restore the thrilling “samba football” that made the five-time world champions famous.

But since taking the job in July, he had struggled to deliver, with Brazil currently sixth place in 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the last automatic qualifying spot from South America.

His sack came a day after a Supreme Court judge ordered the reinstatement of the CBF President, Ednaldo Rodrigues, who had been ousted by a lower-court ruling on December 7 that found irregularities in his 2022 election.

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FIFA and the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) had refused to accept Rodrigues’s ouster, warning the CBF it could be barred from international competitions if it was allowing external interference in its affairs.

Rodrigues, the first black president in CBF history, had been leading negotiations to sign Real Madrid manager, Carlo Ancelotti, as coach.

That bid fell apart on December 29 when Ancelotti extended his contract with Real Madrid.

Diniz presided over just two wins in his six months coaching Brazil, and had racked up a humiliating three straight losses in World Cup qualifiers, including at home to arch-rivals Argentina in November.

Brazilian media reports suggested his successor could be Dorival Junior, the current coach of Sao Paulo.

The Star