Brazil coach Dunga slams referee Andres Cunha after his side’s ‘unthinkable’ Copa America elimination in loss to Peru
Five-time World Champions dumped from group stage by controversial Raul Ruidaz 'handball' goal in shock defeat
BRAZIL coach Dunga slammed referees after his side’s ‘unthinkable’ Copa America elimination.
The five-time world champions were dumped out in the group stage on Sunday night after a controversial 1-0 defeat to unfancied Peru.
A draw would have been enough for Brazil to advance but substitute Raul Ruidaz hit a late winner, despite appearing to handle before firing past keeper Alisson.
Furious Brazil stars protested to referee Andres Cunha but after several minutes of deliberation the Uruguayan allowed the goal to stand.
And exasperated Dunga lamented the decision, insisting ‘everyone’ saw the handball.
He said: “Today was unthinkable… there is nothing more to say. The game should have finished 0-0.
“I do not understand why the referee was talking to his assistants for four minutes and then resolved nothing. It was a clear handball.
“Everyone saw what happened. We cannot change what everyone saw.
“I do not understand why they were four minutes talking about the referee and the assistant then resolved nothing.
“Brazil was eliminated not playing football.
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“With all the technology available, how can they continue to make such serious errors?”
Fans are now calling for Dunga’s head after a string of unsatisfactory results since hosting the World Cup in 2014.
His side were famously thrashed 7-1 by eventual winners Germany in the semi-finals on home turf two years ago.
They were then knocked out in the quarter finals of last year’s Copa in Chile, and currently sit SIXTH in the South American qualifying group for the 2018 World Cup.
But the former Samba icon was adamant he does not fear the sack.
He added: “I am only afraid of death, I am not afraid of that.
“When you work for the Brazil national team you have to know the criticism will mount when you don't get results but internally we know what we are doing.
“It is work that we are doing from the World Cup. We wax lyrical about Germany, but their project took 14 years.
“Here we want it to be easy. But we must be patient during this transition.”