Mano Menezes named as new Brazil coach

Mano Menezes was on Saturday named as Brazil’s new coach, succeeding Dunga, who was axed after the team were knocked out of the World Cup at the quarter-final stage.

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) had said earlier on Saturday that they had offered Corinthians coach Menezes the chance to lead Brazil to the 2014 World Cup, which is being playing on home soil.

“I have the honour to inform you that I was approached by the Brazilian Football Confederation to take over the post of national team coach,” 48-year-old Menezes told a news conference at the Sao Paulo headquarters of Corinthians.

“I have come here to officially confirm that I have accepted the offer.”

Menezes moved into the frame on Friday after Fluminense refused to release top choice Muricy Ramalho from his contract which runs until December.

“I don’t give a damn that I wasn’t number one on the list,” added Menezes.

“We have 30, 40, 50 great coaches in Brazil. If I am the number two, that’s fine with me.”

Menezes coached Gremio from 2005 to 2007.

In his last year with the club, he took Gremio to the final of the Copa Libertadores where they were defeated by Argentina’s Boca Juniors.

With Corinthians, who he also led from the second division, he won the Brazilian Cup in 2009.

Amongst Menezes’s first missions will be the Copa America in Argentina in 2011 and the London Olympics in 2012.

Menezes will be officially unveiled on Monday, which is also the deadline for the squad to be announced for the August 10 friendly international against the USA in New Jersey.

Dunga was sacked after five-times champions Brazil were knocked out of the World Cup in South Africa in the quarter-finals by the Netherlands.

The CBF had drawn up a three-man shortlist for the job.

The other candidate was understood to be former coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who lef Brazil to the 2002 World Cup title.

But Scolari, who has also coached Portugal and Chelsea, ruled himself out saying he intended to honour his contract with Palmeiras which runs until 2012.