Ednaldo Rodrigues, the president of the Brazilian Football Confederation, fired coach Fernando Diniz on Friday, according to sports sources confirmed to EFE a day after a court ruling briefly restored him to power.
In addition to his duties with the national team, Diniz has been the head coach of Fluminense. He oversaw Brazil in six World Cup qualifying matches, recording three defeats against Uruguay, Colombia, and Argentina, one draw with Venezuela, and two victories against Bolivia and Peru.
The CBF initially appointed Diniz as interim coach last July to guide the five-time world champions, with Rodrigues hoping to hand the reins to Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti by mid-2024.
Rodrigues has repeatedly stated that Ancelotti is determined to lead Brazil starting with the 2024 Copa America.
However, Ancelotti extended his contract with Real Madrid last week, coinciding with the judicial decision that removed Rodrigues from the CBF presidency, a Supreme Court ruling that returned him to power this Thursday.
According to Brazilian media, the national team is considered the leading candidate to replace Diniz. Dorival Junior, the current coach of Sao Paulo and Copa Libertadores champion with Flamengo in 2022, is among the discussed options. [citation: Brazilian press]
The situation surrounding Diniz has grown untenable. It marks an unprecedented stretch for the five-time champions, whose recent results have left Brazil sixth in the qualifiers by year-end.
Historically, Brazil has never suffered three consecutive defeats in World Cup qualifying play, and the campaign closed with more losses than wins for the first time since 1963. [citation: Brazilian press]
Some of the responsibility is also traced to Diniz’s predecessor, who served in a temporary capacity. That earlier coach oversaw two friendly defeats in the first round after the World Cup in Qatar against Morocco and Senegal. [citation: Brazilian press]