Author: Amrit Santlani
The Brazilian women’s national soccer team suffered a surprise elimination from the 2023 Women’s World Cup and, a month after the result, the CBF announced the dismissal of coach Pia Sundhage. For the first time since 1995, Brazil were eliminated in the group stage.
The Swede had a contract until August 2024, but after the World Cup exit, Sundhage and his entire coaching staff were sacked after falling short of expectations.
The Swedish coach was expected to lead Brazil to the Olympic Games in Paris next season, but elimination from the World Cup was seen as a setback, and CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues is trying to start a revolution in women’s soccer.
Sundhage was appointed head coach of the national team in August 2019 and has since coached the women’s team for 57 matches, with 34 wins, 10 losses and 13 draws.
During her tenure, the 63-year-old coach won the Copa America, which helped Brazil qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris.
Their last game was a goalless draw against Jamaica, which saw the Brazilian team finish third in Group F, behind tiny Jamaica and France, with just four points. Despite being considered one of the strongest teams in the tournament, they also suffered a collapse, like many other heavyweights.
Previously, Sundhage had won two Olympic titles with the United States in 2008 and 2012, before coaching Sweden to the silver medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016. At the 2021 Olympic Games, Brazil were eliminated in the quarter-finals, but the Swedish coach kept her job, but the elimination at the World Cup proved to be the final nail in the coffin.
According to local media sources, the coach of the Corinthians women’s team, Arthur Elias, is the leading candidate for the job, having won several national and continental titles.
Brazil’s men’s team were also without a permanent coach for a long time until Carlo Ancelotti agreed to take over next summer, while Fernando Diniz was hired to fill in until the Italian arrived.