Emily Lima’s 2017 Brazil exit prompted player protest as Corinthians confirm hire | OneFootball

Corinthians confirmed on Tuesday the appointment of Emily Lima, 45, to lead their women’s team. Her 2017 dismissal by Brazil’s federation, which drew a rare player backlash, has again come under focus.

At the time Marta publicly urged patience, saying “We need time to work. You cannot make results happen overnight in women’s football”, she told SporTV. She added that many players wanted Lima to remain.

Former Corinthians midfielder Francielle Alberto, now a pundit, recalled that she and team-mates including Cristiane, Maurine, Rosana Augusto and Andréia Rosa withdrew from Brazil duty in protest. She said Emily’s staff were highly qualified and the timing shocked the squad.

Lima was removed after only 10 months in charge, having posted roughly 60% in friendlies. She had deliberately scheduled stronger opponents to prepare for the 2019 World Cup and the 2020 Olympics. CBF then reappointed Vadão.

Before the withdrawals, players published an open letter in English to the CBF seeking gender equality and better infrastructure. Signatories included Francielle, Marcia Tafarel, Sissi, Juliana Cabral, Formiga, Cristiane, Rosana Augusto and Andréía Rosa.

Attachments included personal statements, a text by Mayi Cruz Blanco, then FIFA’s women’s football development lead, and a letter to then CBF president Marco Polo del Nero documenting a meeting with Marco Aurélio Cunha backing Lima.

Francielle said she also retired from Brazil after the episode. Having been out of recent squads, she had renewed hope under Lima, but felt it no longer made sense to continue when a previous figure returned.

Source: Meu Timao