Under-achieving Brazilian coach Wanderley Luxemburgo has been sacked - his side's humiliating loss to Cameroon at the Olympics proving a defeat too far - the president of the Brazilian football federation (CBF) Ricardo Teixeira announced in Rio de Janeiro yesterday. Luxemburgo was already in the line of fire with Brazil lying fourth in their 10-team World Cup qualifying group, and his fate was sealed when his Olympic line-up lost 21 to eventual champions Cameroon in the quarter-finals in Sydney.
"That was unacceptable," said Teixeira, pointing out that Brazil had fallen to a Cameroon side that only boasted nine players.
Teixeira did not name a successor, but said the national team's technical director Candinho would step in as coach for the 2002 World Cup qualifier against Venezuela on October 8th.
"A new coach will be elected after this game," he added. Teixeira denied rumours that he had asked Cruzeiro coach Luiz Felipe Scolari to step into the post.
Other names in the hat according to the local press include Carlos Alberto Parreira of Atletico-MG and Levir Cupi of Sao Paulo.
Luxemburgo's cause was not helped by the fact that controversy seemed to follow him wherever he went. He is currently at the centre of a series of scandals, including allegations of tax evasion.
Then there is the bizarre story which broke about his age, which he was said to have lied about 30 years ago to enable him to play for Brazil under-21s. His real age appears to be 52, rather than the 48 he gives on his official papers.
Luxemburgo had said only last Saturday that he had no desire to quit despite a run of mediocre results capped by that Cameroon loss.
But, on Sunday, Luxemburgo woke up to a Brazilian press already carrying reports of his dismissal.
That followed a two-hour meeting between him and Teixeira in Rio the day before. Candinho meanwhile had told Brazilian TV station Globo on Sunday that he had no intention of accepting the position if Luxemburgo had been fired controversially.
"If it was a negotiated exit and if Wanderley thinks it's a good idea, then I'll step in for that match," he added.
Under his care, Brazil, winners of the Copa America, played 34 matches, winning 21 with five defeats, two of those losses coming in 2002 World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay (2-1) and Chile (3-0).
Meanwhile, Rivaldo, suffering from a left ankle injury, has gone to Brazil for their World Cup qualifier in Maracaibo, Venezuela on Sunday, his club Barcelona said. The CBF demanded the presence of Rivaldo so Rio doctors could do their own tests.
Rivaldo hurt himself in Barcelona's European Champions League match against AC Milan last week and missed his side's 20 Spanish league defeat to Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday.
Europe's top clubs, represented by officials of the G14 group, agreed proposals for changes to the transfer laws at a meeting in Munich yesterday. The six-point plan, however, was not made public. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, vice-president of the 14-team group, said they first wanted to discuss it with the relevant people.
FIFA, UEFA and the EU's Mario Monti - opposed to the current transfer system - would have to be notified, Rummenigge said. FIFA are set to have a working group on Friday.
A week ago, Germany put together a compromise package designed to settle the controversial issue of football transfers. Football authorities have until the end of October to come up with proposals to put before the EU.
