Ex-USWNT & Sweden Boss Pia Sundhage Appointed New Brazil Women Head Coach

Former USWNT and Sweden coach Pia Sundhage has been appointed coach of the Brazil women's national team following the Seleção departure of Vadão earlier this
Ex-USWNT & Sweden Boss Pia Sundhage Appointed New Brazil Women Head Coach
Ex-USWNT & Sweden Boss Pia Sundhage Appointed New Brazil Women Head Coach /

Former USWNT and Sweden coach Pia Sundhage has been appointed coach of the Brazil women's national team following the Seleção departure of Vadão earlier this month.

Vadão left the role having led Brazil to the last 16 of this summer's Women's World Cup, with Sundhage tasked with overseeing a new cycle ahead of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

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The 59-year-old has previously coached at club level in her native Sweden, as well as in the United States, but became an international household name in the women's game when she was appointed USWNT coach at the end of 2007.

Sundhage led the Americans to Olympic gold medals in both 2008 and 2012, as well guiding the team to the Women's World Cup final in 2011 where they were narrowly beaten by Japan.

She took as over Sweden coach in 2012, leading the national side she represented close to 150 times during her own 21-year playing career to the semi finals of Euro 2013, the first knockout round at the 2015 World Cup and ultimately an Olympic silver medal in 2016.

Speaking about her new job in Brazil, Sundhage told Svensk Fotboll, "I'm very happy for this opportunity. Brazil is a fantastic football country, full of talented players whom I look forward to getting to know and work with.

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"The national team is in an exciting phase right now - you need, at least to some extent, a change of generation, while you have qualified for the Olympics next year."

Brazil are at something of a crossroad in 2019. Superstar Marta will turn 34 years of age in February, while fellow World Cup stars Cristiane and Formiga are 34 and 41 respectively.

It led Marta to deliver an impassioned speech following Brazil's last 16 elimination at the hands of France, urging the next generation of Brazilian girls to pick up the mantle.

"Women's football depends on you to survive. Think about it, value it more. We're asking for support, you have to cry at the beginning and smile at the end," Marta said.

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"It's about wanting more, it's about training more, it's about looking after yourself more, it's about being ready to play 90 minutes and then 30 minutes more," she added.

"So that's why I am asking the girls. There's not going to be a Formiga forever, there's not going to be a Marta forever, there's not going to be a Cristiane."


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