New Sao Paulo boss Leao drops Rivaldo
Reuters - Tuesday 25 October 2011, 21:19
New Sao Paulo coach
Emerson Leao made an instant impact when he dropped former
Brazil forward Rivaldo, 39, for Tuesday's Copa Sudamericana
clash against Paraguay's Libertad.
Leao, who left his last club after brawling with reporters,
took charge of Sao Paulo for the second time on Monday ahead of
their quarter-final second leg match.
Sao Paulo won the first leg 1-0 with a goal by Brazil
striker Luis Fabiano.
Leao, 62, replaced Adilson Batista who was sacked nine days
ago with Sao Paulo in sixth place in the Brazilian championship
having gone six games without a win.
"When you're hand-picked it's because the responsibility is
greater," Leao told reporters after becoming the club's third
coach of the year.
Leao had been out of work since leaving Goias in the
relegation zone in 2010 after he and his players became involved
in a brawl with radio reporters on the pitch at the end of a
match.
The former goalkeeper, who played for Brazil at the 1974 and
1978 World Cup and coached his country from 2000-01, first took
charge of Sao Paulo in 2004.
He steered them to the state championship in the first half
of 2005 before leaving to coach in Japan.