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Zagallo pessimistic about defending title in Europe

RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec 29 (AFP) -Brazil’s coach Mario Zagallo said here on Monday that he was not confident of defending their World Cup title next year in France because World Cup finals in Europe were ‘always very difficult’.

The 69-year-old Zagallo, who has won four World Cups either as a player or in a coaching capacity with Brazil, said that playing in a European climate was far more difficult for South American teams despite the fact Brazil won the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.

“The Europeans will do anything to stop us from winning our fifth title,” Zagallo said.

Although Zagallo, who coached Brazil to the 1970 title and was a technical advisor when they won in 1994, said that only Argentina and his team of the five South American sides had a chance of winning the title and that there were five European teams who had a real chance.

Zagallo, who played in the World Cup winning sides of 1958 and 1962, said that he feared England, Germany, Italy, France and Spain — adding that the African sides were too unpredictable for him to pass judgement on.

“You never know how they are going to play from one day to the next. If they are on their game like Nigeria were in the Olympic semi-final (the Africans beat Brazil 4-3) then they can beat anybody but in general they are not consistent enough,” Zagallo said.

Brazil, who have been drawn in Group A with Morocco, Scotland and Norway, are heavy favourites to lift the trophy for the fifth time after winning the Copa America and the Federations Cup in Saudi Arabia this year.