Pep Guardiola wanted to coach the Brazil national team, but the board didn’t want the same, according to Barcelona and Brazil right-back Dani Alves.
In an interview on Brazilian TV show Bola de Vez, the Barcelona full-back attacked his country’s board and said that their short-sightedness cost them the chance to work with the “best coach in the world”. Hosts Brazil embarrassingly crashed out of the tournament after a 7-1 defeat to Germany last year.
Guardiola was linked with the role, after Mano Menezes was fired in November 2012, but the Brazilian federation didn’t want him because they thought that a foreign coach wasn’t the right way to go. Jose Marin, the Brazil FA president had said back then, “I find it hard (to believe) that Brazil’s next coach will be a foreign. I have the greatest respect for Guardiola, but Brazil has won all of its five World Cups with Brazilian coaches. I haven’t talk to any (possible coaches) yet. I’m waiting for the end of Brasileirao. A decision might be made in January, in which case I will talk to reporters in a press conference and announce the new coach.
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Alves has confirmed this and criticized the Brazilian FA as they lost a huge opportunity in their decision to not bring the current Bayern Munich boss.
“Before the World Cup, Pep wanted to coach the Brazil side but they weren’t keen,” said Alves.
“Pep said that he wanted to make us the best in the world and had a strategy planned out… but they didn’t want him.
“They said they didn’t know if the Brazilian people would accept him. If you don’t accept the best in the world, someone who can make us better, you don’t care about the Sele A?o .
“Since I started playing for Brazil, he had a team in his head. Pep is the best coach in the world. He’s a guy who revolutionised football.
“We had the chance to get him without spending loads of money… his intention was only to receive money if he delivered results. How do you let an opportunity like that slide?”
Since then, Brazil has crashed out of both the World Cup which it hosted and the recently concluded Copa America at an earlier than expected stage. The anger or frustration of Alves is justified. Guardiola has since won two successive Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich.