Brazil coach Leao resigns, says report

Brazil coach Emerson Leao resigned at Tokyo airport as his team was due board a flight home following their dismal performance at the Confederations Cup, the Estado News Agency said on Monday.

The agency said that Leao, who only took charge in October, handed in his notice after a meeting with national team co-ordinator Antonio Lopes after the team had checked in for their flight, which is around 24 hours long.

It added that Leao, a former goalkeeper who played for Brazil at the 1974 and 1978 World Cups, resigned after being told by Lopes that he would be sacked on his return to Brazil.

The Brazilian Football Confederation was not immediately available for comment.

Brazil, fielding a second string team, won only one of their five matches in the competition and scored only three goals. They have won three out of 10 matches under Leao's command.

Results at the Confederations Cup included goalless draws with Japan and Canada and on Saturday, they suffered a humiliating defeat by Australia in the third place play-off.

Brazil, the only country to have played at every World Cup, are at one of the lowest ebbs in their history and are in danger of missing out on the World Cup for the first time.

DEFEATS

Defeats by Paraguay, Chile and Ecuador have left them fourth in the South American World Cup group from which only the top four teams qualify directly for Japan and South Korea.

They face a difficult match away to sixth-placed Uruguay, who will catch them up on points if they win, on July 1. After that, they still have to visit group leaders Argentina and play away to Bolivia at high altitude.

Since taking over, Leao has complained frequently that he does not have time to train his team.

He was forced to take a reserve team to the Confederations Cup after Brazil's leading clubs refused to release their players.

Critics say Leao has been made a scapegoat for Brazil's problems, which are deep-rooted.

Two separate commissions of inquiry were set up by Congress last year to investigate alleged mismanagement and corruption in the Brazilian game.

Last week, the commission in the lower house produced a preliminary report recommending that criminal charges be brought against 32 leading directors and agents, including CBF president Ricardo Teixeira.