Candinho steps up to lead Brazil

Around the World

BRAZIL

BRAZIL

The coaching assistant Candinho will take over as Brazil's caretaker manager after the sacking of Wanderley Luxemburgo.

Candinho's first game will be to oversee Brazil's World Cup qualifier against Venezuela in San Cristobal on Sunday. No decision had yet been made on a permanent replacement for Luxemburgo, who was sacked on Saturday.

Luxemburgo had coached Brazil for two years but his position became untenable after the Olympic side were beaten by nine-man Cameroon in the quarter-finals of the Sydney Games.

Luiz Felipe Scolari, the fans' favourite, has apparently turned down the chance to replace Luxemburgo for family reasons.

ITALY

Massimo Moratti, the president of Internazionale, will have crisis talks with Marcello Lippi this week in the wake of the coach's criticism of his players performance in Sunday's 2-1 defeat at Reggina on the opening day of Serie A action. Lippi labelled his team of expensive stars "spoilt children" and suggested they no longer had faith in him, words that have thrown doubt on his future at the club.

FRANCE

While Jean Tigana flourishes at Fulham, a former colleague in the French midfield has not been so lucky. Alain Giresse has lost his job as the coach of Toulouse after the newly promoted outfit had lost 1-0 at home to Auxerre in a First Division match on Saturday.