Brazil is among the few soccer playing regions where nationality scores higher than anything else, in fact, big clubs there even afraid of hiring a foreign coach fearing how fans would react over a non-Brazilian mentoring their side. When sentiments are so insecure in club level football, how would they be when it comes to national side especially when they are heading for the world cup. This is something that could have happened with the South Americans had they hired Pep Guardiola to coach their national side for the last world cup. This is revealed by the defender Daniel Alves who says, football association was close to bring Spanish ahead of the FIFA cup but backed off on the last moment fearing how fans would response to a foreigner having been in charge of the national side. Although, 32-year-old Barcelona player did not reveal who eventually refused to hire him, but added, it was the wrong decision that paid them at last. According to him, Guardiola was the best coach for their side who could have made a difference in their performance last year.
Talking about the developments that took place in the dressing room, Alves said in an interview, “Pep said he wanted to make Brazil a World Cup champion and had an entire strategy to make us a world champion. But they didn’t want it, because they said that they didn’t know if Brazil would accept a foreign coach. Pep is the best coach in the world, the greatest sports manager I’ve ever seen. He revolutionized football, revolutionized a team, and we had the chance to have him with us. If you let an opportunity like this go by, then you are not really thinking about the national team.”
On first anniversary of the day when Brazilians were crushed by the Germans with a big 7-1 margin in the semifinals, right back still counts over the 44-year-old mentor he has played under for several years at Barcelona and added, “Ever since I’ve been working with Pep, he has on his mind the Brazilian team that he would like to be coaching.” Recalling Luiz Felipe Scolari, who eventually got the opportunity to lead the national side, he said, he had raised his doubts at the moment when World Cup-winning coach in 2002 took over the charge yet FA decided to trust him. Anyways, it is now a history and fans don’t want to repeat this kind of mistake ahead of any big future event simply because someone more talented does not have roots in Brazil.