Sao Paulo, Aug 2 (DPA) Brazilian football confederation (CBF) president Ricardo Teixeira has revealed that drunkenness was one of the reasons behind the team’s failure at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, reports daily O Estado de Sao Paulo.
Teixeira, speaking in Zurich, did not specify which players he was talking about, but said that some arrived at the hotel “between 4 and 6 a.m., drunk”.
Brazil arrived in Germany as the favourite to win its sixth World Cup title, but lost 1-0 to France in the quarterfinals.
Teixeira hinted that the command of the national team, then coached by Carlos Alberto Parreira, was not strong enough.
“That is why I need discipline, and that is (current coach) Dunga’s role,” the CBF boss was quoted as saying in Thursday’s edition.
He also said he would have no problem if Dunga were to exclude Milan forward Ronaldo from the national team.
“How old is Ronaldo today? How old will he be in the 2010 World Cup? That is all I have to say,” Teixeira noted.
“We have to find another Ronaldo.”
Ronaldo, who will be 33 in 2010, was criticised for his excessive bodyweight – amongst other things – at the most recent World Cup.
“How can a player get to a cup weighing 98 kg?” asked Teixeira.
“I weigh almost that and I am no sportsman.”
The head of the Brazilian delegation in the 2006 World Cup, Marco Polo Del Nero, said he was not aware of drunkenness among players.
“If that happened I did not see it,” he said, quoted by the newspaper.
“The technical commission must have hidden those episodes very well, even from the head of the delegation.”
Teixeira did not say why he chose to speak about Germany 2006 now, one year after the tournament, and neither did he assume any portion of the responsibility for the team’s failure.