(Reuters) – Dorival Junior has stepped down as the coach of Sao Paulo, a Brazilian team, to assume the role of head coach for Brazil’s national team, the club revealed in a statement on Sunday.
On Friday, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) announced the termination of Fernando Diniz’s interim appointment as head coach in order to hire a permanent coach to prepare the team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Sources informed Reuters that Dorival was Brazil’s top choice for the position, after the CBF’s unsuccessful attempt to recruit Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, who decided to extend his contract with Real Madrid.
“Sao Paulo Football Club announces the departure of coach Dorival Junior, who has requested to leave in order to take on the role of head coach for the Brazilian national team,” the team stated in a message posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
After the federation did not immediately confirm the appointment, Reuters reached out to the CBF for commentary.
Prior to joining Sao Paulo, Dorival coached Flamengo to victory in the Copa Libertadores 2022 and the Brazilian Cup. He has also served as a coach for Atletico Mineiro, Athletico Paranaense, Internacional, Vasco da Gama, Fluminense, and Palmeiras.
Dorival expressed in the statement that it was “the realization of a personal dream, which was only possible because I received recognition for the work carried out in Sao Paulo.”
Sao Paulo President Julio Casares remarked that it demonstrated the club’s strong standing. “The invitation to Dorival is further proof that we are on the right track,” he commented. “All that remains is to wish him good luck in his new challenge.”
Brazil currently occupies the sixth spot in the South American World Cup qualifying standings, having won only two out of their six games and experienced three defeats.
The decision to dismiss Diniz was made following Ednaldo Rodrigues’ reinstatement as the head of the CBF, subsequent to his dismissal in early December by the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice, as decreed by minister Gilmar Mendes of the Federal Supreme Court (STF).
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City; Editing by Toby Davis)
