Brazil coach luiz Felipe Scolari apologised to fans for failing to lead the host to the World Cup Final, saying the “catastrophic” defeat to Germany marked the “worst day” of his professional life. “I have to apologize for the negative result, for not being able to reach the Final,” Scolari said, speaking calmly after the 7-1 loss.
He took full responsibility for the drubbing and said he knows that it’s very likely that his career may be defined by what happened at the Mineirao Stadium — even though he also led Brazil to the 2002 World Cup title.“This was the worst day of my life. I’ll probably be remembered for losing 7-1 to Germany, for Brazil’s worst loss. But it was a risk I knew I was taking. I have to take responsibility for it. life must go on for everybody,” he said.
The coach has to find a way to learn from the “catastrophic loss” at home. He said there are “no excuses” for what happened, not even the absence of star striker Neymar. “They probably would have done it with Neymar playing. I don’t think there’s any reason for us to suppose that with Neymar it would have been different,” he said. The “very high quality” of Germany was the reason for Brazil’s disappointing elimination at the home tournament. “They took advantage of their chances, they are very good,” he said.
“It was one after the other, I think everyone blanked out,” Scolari said. “There was nothing we could do. We panicked.” Scolari declined to discuss his future. Brazilian Football Confederation head has said Scolari will remain head of the national team. However, he’s unlikely to remain with Brazil after Saturday’s third-place match in Brasilia. He had earlier said that he would like to retire after coaching in the World Cup, but it’s still possible he would extend his career outside of Brazil. “I don’t think I have any debts to pay,” he said about his time with Brazil. “I did my job, as always.”