Silas sacked as Gremio coach
Reuters - Monday 09 August 2010, 02:09
RIO DE JANEIRO - Former Brazil midfielder
Silas has been sacked as coach of Gremio after his side slumped
to a 2-1 loss to a 10-man Fluminense side in the Brazilian
championship on Sunday.
Rio de Janeiro-based 'Flu' had midfielder Bob sent off just
past the hour for a second booking after scoring early goals
through fullback Mariano and striker Emerson.
A late goal to Gremio's Andre Lima was not enough to save
Silas, who became the 22nd coaching change of the season among
the 20 top-flight clubs after only seven months at the helm.
Silas leaves the team from the southern city of Porto
Alegre in 18th place after a fifth defeat in 13 games.
He denied media reports that he had planned to quit Gremio
to take the vacancy at Sao Paulo after Ricardo Gomes was sacked
mid-week when his team were eliminated in the Libertadores Cup
semi-finals.
"I'd like to clear up a lie that prejudiced today's outcome
saying I'd already said goodbye to the players," Silas told
reporters.
"Sao Paulo have not invited me to go there. Whoever has
worked with me these last seven months knows the sort of person
I am."
The win maintained Fluminense's one-point lead in the
championship over Corinthians, whose 1-0 win over title holders
Flamengo kept them in a winning vein since coach Mano Menezes
left them to take charge of the national team.
Third-placed Ceara have 21 points and Internacional 20 with
a game in hand as their match with Santos was postponed to
prepare for Wednesday's first leg of the Libertadores Cup final
against Guadalajara in Mexico.
Palmeiras, held 1-1 by modest Goias, has Luiz Felipe
Scolari worrying about an impeding fight against relegation.
Scolari, who steered Palmeiras to Libertadores Cup victory
in 1999 in a previous spell in charge, said bad luck was
responsible for the difficulties of his team, who are 13th and
a mere three points clear of the relegation zone.
"The criticism goes in one ear and out the other," Scolari,
back in Brazil after a seven-year absence, said. "The team are
playing relatively well, but haven't been lucky, missing
chances that should have gone in."
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