SAO PAULO • Even as former Corinthians boss Tite accepted an offer to coach the troubled Brazil national team on Wednesday, he was embroiled in controversy.
His appointment was met with fury at his former club, who accused the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) of underhand tactics and unethical behaviour.
Tite, who led Corinthians to two Brazilian league titles (2011 and 2015), the Copa Libertadores and the Club World Cup (both in 2012), will replace Dunga, who was fired on Tuesday after Brazil were knocked out of the Copa America Centenario at the group stage for the first time since 1987.
The 55-year-old, whose full name is Adenor Leonardo Bacchi, was expected to sign the deal yesterday, pending the hashing of some details, the CBF said in a statement.
Corinthians president Roberto de Andrade, however, hit out at the national confederation.
"I am furious with the CBF," he said. "They didn't even call us once. It wouldn't have changed anything if they'd called us and asked for permission to talk to the manager. Of course I'd have said yes.
"Tite deserves (to coach) the national side for the work he has done and for the person he is.
"The national side don't deserve Tite. The CBF doesn't deserve a person like Tite. They aren't used to dealing with ethical people."
The CBF responded by saying it had tried calling Andrade on Wednesday morning after spending three hours in talks with Tite but was unable to reach the Corinthians boss via phone or text.
Although Andrade's comments were unusually outspoken, they were not the first public criticism of the CBF over the last six months.
The last three CBF presidents - including the current boss Marco Polo del Nero - were indicted in the United States for bribery and racketeering offences as part of the Fifa corruption scandal.
Tite himself was one of 100 people who signed an open letter last December calling for del Nero to resign. Del Nero did not respond to the letter, which was signed by Pele, Zico and Rai among others, and he did not accompany Brazil to the US for either the Copa America or friendly matches played there.
Tite, who has a reputation as an honest man with a knack for organising limited sides, will have his work cut out with the Selecao.
Brazil have lost their way in recent years and have not won a major tournament since 2007, when Dunga led them to the Copa America during his first spell in charge.
He was replaced after Brazil fell to the Netherlands in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup, but returned in 2014 after they were hammered 7-1 by Germany in the World Cup they hosted.
That result exemplified Brazil's decline and Dunga was hired to stop the rot and restore some pride. He was fired, however, after Brazil's 0-1 loss to Peru on Sunday, which saw them exit the Copa.
They also sit in sixth place in the South American qualifying group for the 2018 World Cup, presenting the almost unthinkable prospect of the five-time champions missing out on the World Cup. The top four teams qualify automatically with the fifth-placed side entering an inter-continental play-off.
The task of turning Brazil around in time for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics will fall to current Under-20s coach Micale.
REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
