Pia Sundhage, whose tenure as coach of the US women’s football team included two Olympic championship, will take charge of Brazil’s national side, the Brazilian Soccer Confederation (CBF) has said.
The 59-year-old Swede was always the CBF’s first choice to succeed Vadao, who stepped down after the Brazilians were eliminated from the 2019 Women’s World Cup in the knockout stage, reports Efe news.
Teams coached by Sundhage have reached the Olympic final three times, winning gold twice, and the CBF is counting on her to guide the Brazilian women to the final at the 2020 Games in Tokyo.
Sundhage signed a two-year contract with an option to renew for an additional two years, the CBF said.
As a player, Sundhage scored 77 goals in 144 matches for the Swedish national team, which won the inaugural European women’s championship in 1985.
She also competed in the initial Women’s World Cup, in 1991, and in the 1996 Olympics, the first edition of the games to include women’s soccer.
Sundhage went into coaching after hanging up her boots. Though she has managed clubs in Sweden, Norway and the US, she is best known for her accomplishments at the international level.
With Sundhage behind the bench, the US women won gold at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and took second-place honours in the 2011 Women’s World Cup.
FIFA honoured Sundhage as the best coach in the women’s game in 2012.
