Brazil have appointed national team coach Dunga as manager of their Olympic soccer squad to replace Alexandre Gallo.
“Under an agreement reached by the Brazilian national team’s technical commission, Alexandre Gallo departs as coach of the Under-20 and Olympic teams after 27 months,” the Brazil soccer federation said.
“Mario Rogerio Reis Micalle will take over at the Under-20 team and the Olympic side will be led by coach Dunga until the 2016 Olympics.”
Dunga has revitalised the national team after taking over in the wake of their dismal World cup last year.
Pele to be released from hospital
Brazilian soccer legend Pele is expected to be released today after undergoing prostate surgery, the hospital treating him in Sao Paulo said.
The Albert Einstein Hospital said Pele was recuperating well after a transurethral resection of the prostate. The hospital said Pele had been treated for benign prostatic hyperplasia, or enlargement of the prostate, and that no tumours were found.
According to the US National Institutes of Health’s website, the procedure involves removing an internal part of the prostate gland.
Van Gaal eyes more new signings
Louis van Gaal is ready to follow up the signing of Memphis Depay with more new acquisitions this summer if he thinks his Manchester United squad is not up to scratch.
United this week beat Paris SG to the £25m signing of PSV forward Depay, who will pen a four-year contract at Old Trafford once he has passed a medical.
The 21-year-old forward is the eighth signing of Van Gaal’s reign and the United boss has been told he has a sizeable transfer kitty to spend this summer.
“Manchester United shall always react when it is necessary in our eyes,” the United boss said when asked about summer targets.
Gaya commits to Valencia
Valencia have agreed a contract extension with highly-rated teenage defender Jose Gaya.
The 19-year-old left-back’s new deal ties him to the Primera Division outfit until June 30, 2020, with the buy-out clause in his contract rising to a reported 50million euros.
The Spain Under-21 international, who came up through the youth ranks at Los Che before making his first-team debut in 2012, said on his club’s website: “I’m very happy and proud to extend my deal with Valencia.
“It’s what I wanted from the beginning and in the end things have turned out as both parties wanted. We’ve both emerged as winners from this and it is another dream come true.”
Mou hails ‘dear enemy’ Gerrard
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is sad to be facing “dear enemy” Steven Gerrard for the last time and credits the Liverpool stalwart for making him a better coach.
After 17 memorable years as a professional at Anfield, the Reds captain has just three matches remaining before starting a new chapter in Major League Soccer with LA Galaxy at the age of 34.
“It is with opponents like him that I am the manager that I am, because I learn with my players and I learn with my best opponents,” he said.
“I learn with my players’ problems, my players’ doubts, my players’ qualities and I learn with my best opponent, with the problems they give me, the way they make me think and studying the best way to play against them.
“For sure, in England he is my dear enemy. He is the one that made me a better manager. To stop him or try and stop him has been very, very difficult.”
Brahimi focused only on Porto
Porto forward Yacine Brahimi has confirmed that he is being courted by several clubs including Milan, PSG and Man. City.
The Algerian international has been linked with a move to San Siro if the new Asian investors increase the transfer budget.
“I have read some rumours about my future, but I am a Porto player,” Brahimi told France Football.
“There has been some interest, but this will not influence my performance. I am focused entirely on ending this season well.”
Uruguay must cope without Suarez
Uruguay must accept Luis Suarez’s absence at the Copa America and look to prove that they can play without him, according to former striker Diego Forlan.
Suarez, 28, is Uruguay’s record goalscorer and has been in incredible form for Barcelona so far this season. However, the striker will miss the summer tournament as he is still serving a nine match ban.
But Forlan believes that Oscar Tabarez’s men must dig deep and show that they can defend their Copa title without him.
“Luis Suarez is one of the best players in the world,” Forlan said.
“It would have been very important to have a player like him, even more so given the way he has been playing.
“But Uruguay need to learn how to function without him.”