Former Brazil international Juninho believes that his former national team coach Luiz Felipe Scolari faces a “different kind of challenge” in his second spell in charge.
The 40-year-old, who made his name at Middlesbrough, earned 50 caps for Brazil and won the 2002 World Cup under Scolari and a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympic Games.
Juninho believes Felipão, who returned to his former post in November, faces a difficult job with the Seleção ahead of the World Cup on home soil next year.
He told FIFA.com: “It’s difficult, because the Seleção are going through a transitional phase. That generation of players that had won things has moved on, and we don’t yet know whether the up-and-coming talents can handle the pressure.
“The team had been starting to gain an identity under Mano Menezes, which had taken a while to happen, but we still don’t know how almost all of that squad will cope in a World Cup situation.
“It’s another kind of challenge for Felipão to deal with.”
Brazil face Italy in an international friendly on March 21 before heading to England for a game against Russia at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge four days later.
Source: Fifa.com
