At 65, the Italian star manager, who has five Champions League titles under his belt, is taking the reins of a national team for the first time.
Brazil's new manager, Carlo Ancelotti, on Monday ruled injury-plagued Neymar out from the line-up for the next two World Cup qualifiers, on the Italian's first day as Selecao coach.
Brazil doesn't need foreigners to coach its national football team, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Tuesday following the appointment of Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti to head the Selecao.
The 62-year-old coach took over the reigns of the 'Selecao' in January with the team having endured a poor start to World Cup qualification in South America.
“This is a sad moment for those who love Brazilian soccer. It’s getting hard to find the spirit to watch the games. This is perhaps one of the worst teams in recent years, it has no respectable leaders, only average players for the majority."
The country of Pele, Garrincha and Ronaldinho, which once wowed the world with its 'samba' style, has not won the World Cup since 2002. Nor has it produced a Ballon d'Or winner since Kaka in 2007.
"I want more," the forward told a press conference before training with the national side at Oeiras, on the outskirts of Lisbon, ahead of upcoming European Championship qualifiers.
Negotiations took place directly between club president Juan Laporta and Mendes' uncle, Roberto de Assis, who was also Ronaldinho’s agent.
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez apologised Sunday for a comment he had made about Dani Alves, who was arrested earlier this week following sexual assault allegations.
Brazil's Congress has established a committee to oversee the national team's preparations for the 2022 World Cup, saying the Selecao's image is at a "low point" after a series of defeats bruised the national ego.
Florencia Bonsegundo scored the decisive solitary goal to help Argentina edge past Venezuela and secure second place in Group B and qualify to the semifinals of the Copa America Femenina 2022 at the Estadio Centenario in Colombia today.
