Goalkeeper Julio Cesar admitted on Saturday that his international career is over after Brazil’s World Cup campaign ended in disappointment.
“This is probably my last World Cup. To play at the Copa America in 2015, at the age of 35, would be quite complicated,” he said after Brazil’s 3-0 defeat to the Netherlands in the third-place play-off in Brasilia.
“To go to that Copa America without having the 2018 World Cup in mind would be selfish on my part.”
Having been blamed for Brazil’s 2-1 defeat to Holland that saw them exit the 2010 World Cup at the quarterfinal stage, Cesar was hailed as a hero after Brazil beat Chile on penalties in the last 16 two weeks ago.
But he could do little to help his side in last Tuesday’s 7-1 semifinal hammering at the hands of Germany.
“It is a sad moment for Brazilian football. Now I think it is time to relax and try to forget about all of this.
“The time has come for other goalkeepers and I think Brazil has seven or eight who are quite capable of pulling on the national jersey,” he said.
Decision on Scolari with CBFLuiz Felipe Scolari has left a decision on his future as coach of Brazil to the country’s federation after the World Cup hosts’ campaign ended in more disappointment.
“It is up to the president to decide. We will hand in a final report and then leave it to him to analyse what needs to be done,” said Scolari after Brazil lost 3-0 to the Netherlands in the third-place play-off in Brasilia on Saturday.
“I’m not going to discuss (my future) with you. Winning or losing that is what we would have done.” Scolari’s contract with the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) expires with the end of Brazil’s campaign but there have been suggestions that president Jose Maria Marin could persuade him to stay on until the end of the year while a long-term replacement is sought.
“At the end of the tournament we were not so good but we finished fourth and we must praise the players. The game (against Holland) was very even but we conceded a goal early on and the Netherlands got the breaks,” he said.
But Scolari claimed that Brazil’s campaign was about more than a first-half collapse against the Germans in the semifinals and continued to insist that his players deserve more merit for their victory in last year’s Confederations Cup.
“There were really good moments in games. We can only lament a six-minute spell against Germany, but it happened and today I can’t criticise the team.”
And Scolari defended his own track record, pointing to his past successes as coach of the Brazil team that won the World Cup in 2002 and of the Portugal team that also finished fourth in 2006. — AFP
