The coaching carousel in the Brazilian Championship.
In less than 48 hours, three coaches left their positions; the havoc caused by the start of the second half of the championship led to resignations throughout Brazil.
247 – The list of coaches fired during this year's Brazilian Championship continues to grow. In less than 48 hours, three coaches left their posts. The damage caused by the 20th round of the competition claimed its first victim on the morning of Friday, December 2nd, when the Cruzeiro board announced the unexpected dismissal of coach Joel Santana. According to an official statement published on the Minas Gerais club's website, the coach's departure was agreed upon by the directors in a meeting held on Thursday evening, December 1st. At the same meeting, it was agreed that Emerson Ávila, coach of the Brazilian under-17 national team and technical coordinator of the club's professional team since 2008, would be the new coach. The Cruzeiro club is currently in 11th place with 27 points.
Coach René Simões is also changing teams. After facing criticism from the fans for several rounds, the coach was dismissed from his position at Bahia this Friday, the 2nd. René's last act with the Tricolor was the goalless draw against América-MG this Thursday in Pituaçu. This result greatly displeased the club's management, which currently occupies 16th place in the Championship with 21 points.
Renato Gaúcho, who had only been at Atlético-PR for two months, surprised the club's management by resigning from his position. The coach had a relatively good performance record, especially compared to what the club had before his arrival. According to statements made by the coach, the reason for his resignation was the longing he feels for Rio de Janeiro. Five coaches have tried, but none have managed to surpass the mark of 14 matches in charge of the Paraná club this season. Adilson Batista and Renato Gaúcho each managed the Furacão in 14 games, the highest number so far. Ten hours after Renato's departure, coach Antônio Lopes took over the position. The team is second-to-last in the championship, in 19th position, with only 18 points.
There's no shortage of coaches threatened by their teams' inconsistent performance. And that's precisely why the question now is: who will be next? Adilson Batista of São Paulo, Cuca of Atlético-MG, Abel Braga of Fluminense, and Tite of Corinthians are the main names likely to be added to the list of dismissals.