Corinthians fury after Tite accepts Brazil job

Corinthians manager Tite has accepted an offer to coach Brazil but his appointment was met with fury at his former club, who accused the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) of underhand tactics and unethical behaviour.

>>Reuters
Published : 16 June 2016, 05:10 AM
Updated : 16 June 2016, 05:10 AM

Tite, who led Corinthians to two Serie A titles, the Copa Libertadores and the World Club Cup, will replace Dunga, who was fired on Tuesday after Brazil were knocked out of the Copa America at the group stage for the first time since 1987.

The 55-year-old Tite, whose proper name is Adenor Leonardo Bacchi, is expected to sign a deal on Thursday, although details have yet to be hashed out, the CBF said in a statement.

Corinthians president Roberto de Andrade, however, hit out at the confederation.

"I am furious with the CBF," Andrade told reporters. "They didn't even call us once. It wouldn't have changed anything if they'd called us and asked for permission to talk to the manager. Of course I'd have said yes.

"Tite deserves the national side for the work he has done and for the person he is," Andrade added. "The national side doesn't deserve Tite. The CBF doesn't deserve a person like Tite. They aren't used to dealing with ethical people."

The CBF responded by saying they had tried calling Andrade on Wednesday morning after spending three hours in talks with Tite but were unable to reach him via phone or text.

"The CBF has only respect for Brazilians clubs and their interests," the governing body added in a statement.

Although Andrade's comments were unusually outspoken they were not the first public criticism of the CBF over the last six months.

The last three CBF presidents - including the current boss Marco Polo Del Nero - were indicted in the United States for bribery and racketeering offences as part of the FIFA corruption scandal.

Tite himself was one of 100 people who signed an open letter last December calling for Del Nero to resign.

Del Nero did not respond to the letter, which was signed by Pele, Zico and Rai among others, and he did not accompany Brazil to the US for either the Copa America or friendly matches played there.

Task ahead

Tite, who has a reputation as an honest man who knows how to organise even limited sides, will have his work cut out at the national team.

Brazil have lost their way in recent years and have failed to win a major tournament since 2007, when Dunga led them to the Copa America during his first spell in charge.

He was replaced after Brazil fell to the Netherlands in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup but returned in 2014 after they were hammered 7-1 by Germany in their home World Cup.

That result exemplified Brazil's decline and Dunga was hired to stop the rot and restore some pride.

He failed miserably, however, and was fired after Brazil lost 1-0 to Peru on Sunday and went out of the Centenary Copa America in the United States.

They also sit in sixth place in the South American qualifying group for the 2018 World Cup, presenting the almost unthinkable prospect of the five-times champions missing out on global football's showpiece tournament.

The top four teams qualify automatically for Russia and the fifth-placed side enter an inter-continental playoff.