Brazil

Barcelona's Dani Alves says Guardiola desired to coach Brazilian national team

Published Jul. 7, 2015 3:46 p.m. ET

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SAO PAULO - Barcelona defender Daniel Alves says Pep Guardiola wanted to coach Brazil at last year's World Cup but local football officials were afraid that fans wouldn't like having a foreign coach in charge of the national team.

Alves said Tuesday in an interview with ESPN Brasil that Guardiola ''had an entire strategy to make'' Brazil the World Cup champion at home, but ''they didn't want'' him. Alves, who played for Guardiola at Barcelona for several years, said the coach has always had ''on his mind the Brazilian team that he would like'' to see playing under his command.

Wednesday will mark the anniversary of Brazil's humiliating 7-1 loss to Germany in the World Cup semifinals. Brazil was coached by Luiz Felipe Scolari, who led the team to the 2002 world title.

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