Tweet
<H1></H1>
<BR clear=all><DIV class=text11 style="BACKGROUND: #fff"><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>
Brazil coach Dunga has played down reports that he holds a grudge with Ronaldinho. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV>
The former Brazilian captain courted criticism over his apparent reluctance to field his star striker, who has had only one start for Brazil since the World Cup. The Barcelona player missed the Portugal match through injury.
'Every player goes through a patch when they have physical problems or are not at their best. We have to give the guy a moment to get back to his best,' said Dunga.
The coach added that 17-year-old Alexandre Pato, already seen as Brazil's great new hope for the future even though he has played only four games for Internacional, did not figure in his immediate plans.
'We have to wait a while,' said Dunga. 'He has played four games in his career and he hasn't completed any of them.
'He has fantastic talent but we can't rush these things along.'
Meanwhile, Dunga said the row over the unusual shirt he wore during last week's game against Portugal showed that football was a sport averse to change.
The beleagured coach added that his unorthodox choice of touchline attire was partly an attempt to help his daughter, who is a fashion student and designed the shirt.
'If parents don't help their children or give them incentives in their work, then it's more likely that they will get involved in drugs and that sort of thing,' he said in an interview on Brazilian television.
The coach raised eyebrows last Tuesday in London when he stood on the touchline wearing a garish black-and-white shirt with false braces down the front that looked more at home in a 1970s disco than the technical area at the Emirates Stadium.
Portugal's 2-0 win over Brazil at Arsenal's home ground ended Dunga's unbeaten run in charge of the team and his dress sense attracted almost as many comments as Brazil's performance itself.
'First of all, it was a white shirt with black flowers on it and I don't think black and white is that colourful,' he said.
'But it just shows how difficult it is to change things in football. They expect you either to wear the team tracksuit or a traditional jacket and tie and that's it.'
Dunga is not the only South American coach attracting attention for his attire.
Argentinian coach Ricardo La Volpe, who coached Mexico at the World Cup finals last year, was recently the subject of a feature article in a local newspaper highlighting his array of interesting ties.
He was also spotted on the touchline recently in a smart jacket, jeans and white shoes.
<BR clear=all><DIV class=text11 style="BACKGROUND: #fff"><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>
Brazil coach Dunga has played down reports that he holds a grudge with Ronaldinho. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV>
The former Brazilian captain courted criticism over his apparent reluctance to field his star striker, who has had only one start for Brazil since the World Cup. The Barcelona player missed the Portugal match through injury.
'Every player goes through a patch when they have physical problems or are not at their best. We have to give the guy a moment to get back to his best,' said Dunga.
The coach added that 17-year-old Alexandre Pato, already seen as Brazil's great new hope for the future even though he has played only four games for Internacional, did not figure in his immediate plans.
'We have to wait a while,' said Dunga. 'He has played four games in his career and he hasn't completed any of them.
'He has fantastic talent but we can't rush these things along.'
Meanwhile, Dunga said the row over the unusual shirt he wore during last week's game against Portugal showed that football was a sport averse to change.
The beleagured coach added that his unorthodox choice of touchline attire was partly an attempt to help his daughter, who is a fashion student and designed the shirt.
'If parents don't help their children or give them incentives in their work, then it's more likely that they will get involved in drugs and that sort of thing,' he said in an interview on Brazilian television.
The coach raised eyebrows last Tuesday in London when he stood on the touchline wearing a garish black-and-white shirt with false braces down the front that looked more at home in a 1970s disco than the technical area at the Emirates Stadium.
Portugal's 2-0 win over Brazil at Arsenal's home ground ended Dunga's unbeaten run in charge of the team and his dress sense attracted almost as many comments as Brazil's performance itself.
'First of all, it was a white shirt with black flowers on it and I don't think black and white is that colourful,' he said.
'But it just shows how difficult it is to change things in football. They expect you either to wear the team tracksuit or a traditional jacket and tie and that's it.'
Dunga is not the only South American coach attracting attention for his attire.
Argentinian coach Ricardo La Volpe, who coached Mexico at the World Cup finals last year, was recently the subject of a feature article in a local newspaper highlighting his array of interesting ties.
He was also spotted on the touchline recently in a smart jacket, jeans and white shoes.
Comment