Brazil: Ronaldo names surprising picks for possible successors to Tite

Brazil legend Ronaldo has given his thoughts on who should replace Tite as the head coach of the Selecao, picking three foreign names.

Tite stepped down following Brazil’s shock World Cup quarter-final elimination at the hands of Croatia on Friday.

The Brazilian Football Confederation’s search is underway for a successor, with Brazilian media heavily linking Pep Guardiola with the role despite signing a new contract with Manchester City.

Ronaldo was asked by Globo for his thoughts on the vacancy, and to the suprise of his countrymen, listed two Portuguese coaches and an Italian.

“There are a lot of amazing names that would do a lot of good. [Carlo] Ancelotti, Abel [Ferreira], from Palmeiras, [Jose] Mourinho, from Roma…They are incredible names. All of them with contracts. I don’t know what the CBF will do, but my opinion is that it would support a foreign name.

“The Brazilian options, I don’t see many. What I wanted to say is that Fernando Diniz is one of the Brazilian names that I like the most. Anyway, before the coach’s announcement, the CBF will still have other announcements to make. The coach’s choice comes from a philosophy of how the CBF board or the president wants the team to play. Based on this concept that the Selecao chooses, it is possible to look for the most suitable profiles for this game.”

Ronaldo, who is the owner of Brazilian club Gremio and La Liga side Real Valladolid, was then asked if he would consider taking on the role himself.

“I know where you want to go there! I wasn’t asked for [by the CBF for his opinion], but I can’t give them that opinion either. This process of selecting a coach is very complex, it does not depend on a simple choice. Throwing names around is speculating for the sake of speculating.”