Opinion: Successes and Failures

07/14/2014 - 11h40

Congratulations to the Germans for the World Cup, they fought to earn it. And congratulations to the Brazilians, champions of hospitality, friendliness and enthusiasm.

Our national team descended from the pedestal, and our people took the podium.

The 3-0 against the Netherlands confirmed the shameful performance of the Brazilian squad. Scolari continues trying to deny reality, underscoring the merits of going to the semifinals.

In the face of failure, the coaching staff offered arrogance and conceit. Perfection, for me, is something to be pursued but never attained.

For Parreira, in his words, it's the ability to live with mediocrity.

Before the tournament, I wrote that Scolari and Parreira were good leaders because, as educated in FGV (Fundação Getulio Vargas), could make their team play at their maximum for the collective. But in this World Cup, the two failed.

We had players as good as the best teams. They lacked an updated technical committee, tactical skeme, leadership -they lacked the collective.

The results speak for themselves: 3 wins, 2 draws and 2 unforgettable defeats.

Leaders make mistakes. Do not crucify Scolari and Parreira. They are not the only culprits. The CBF has to be reconsidered, as do all sports federations.

The choice of its leaders must prioritize the interests of the sport, the athletes and the country, not the happiness of themselves.

With rare exceptions, clubs, federations and confederations are misguided because they are personal fiefdoms.

We don't need to start from scratch. There is a lot of knowledge available from the successful experiences of European and American leagues such as the NBA and NFL.

Two years from now, we will have the Olympics. We need to take lessons from the Cup to promote our great games and improve our sports performance.

A gold is already assured: from the Brazilian people. What made this World Cup one of the greatest Cups, and Brazil, such a great host.

Translated by STEVE HUGHES

Read the article in the original language