Media hail Scolari-Parreira tandem
Brazilian media on Thursday welcomed the official announcement that 2002 world champion Luiz Felipe Scolari was back as national coach for the 2014 World Cup on home soil, replacing the sacked Mano Menezes.
Scolari will work with new technical director Carlos Alberto Parreira, who was in the dugout for Brazil's fourth World Cup triumph in 1994 - and O Globo daily indicated this appeared to be a doubly positive development.
"Felipao and Parreira - two sides of a victorious coin," opined the paper, describing Parreira as the suave half of a double act topped off with the passion of Scolari, at 64, five years his colleague's junior.
Lance sports daily was also enthusiastic after the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) sealed the deal.
"Now it's official - the CBF unveil Filipao and Parreira for the Selecao," said the paper on its website.
Correio do Povo, in Scolari's home state of Rio Grande do Sul, saluted what it termed his "sincere and disciplined" approach to the game while Rio-based O Dia headlined simply: "They're back" in reference to Scolari and sidekick Parreira.
Tribuna de Petropolis from Rio state was to the point in its headline: "Felipao is back in command."
Several papers picked up on comments by 2002 world champion Ronaldo, in Sao Paulo for the announcement of the Ballon d'Or shortlist for world player of the year, that Brazil had only seen three players chosen in a 55-strong group for Fifa's 2012 'dream team'.
The former striker indicated that "Brazilian football is maybe experiencing one of the worst moments in its history" with the national side's star having fallen in recent years.
Noting Scolari's evident pleasure at being selected to lead the five-times world champions out of their recent slump - two straight failures even to reach World Cup semifinals left them outside the Fifa top ten rankings - A Folha de Sao Paulo noted he appeared up for the challenge.
Scolari insisted Thursday he didn't feel under pressure, unlike in 2001 when he took over a side struggling even to reach the World Cup.
But A Folha promptly quoted him as indicating he was expecting it - and would deal with it.
"If I don't want pressure it's best if I don't coach the team - I'll go and work in an office for the Bank of Brazil," the paper quoted him as saying.
