Dunga facts for kids

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Dunga

Dunga with Brazil in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri
Date of birth	(1963-10-31) 31 October 1963 (age 61)
Place of birth	Ijuí, Brazil
Height	1.76 m
Playing position	Defensive midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1980–1984	Internacional	10	(0)
1984–1985	Corinthians	13	(1)
1985–1987	Santos	16	(1)
1987	Vasco da Gama	17	(1)
1987–1988	Pisa	23	(2)
1988–1992	Fiorentina	124	(8)
1992–1993	Pescara	23	(3)
1993–1995	VfB Stuttgart	54	(7)
1995–1998	Júbilo Iwata	99	(16)
1999–2000	Internacional	20	(3)
Total		377	(42)
National team
1983–1986	Brazil Olympic	19	(4)
1987–1998	Brazil	91	(6)
Teams managed
2006–2010	Brazil
2008	Brazil U23
2012–2013	Internacional
2014–2016	Brazil
Honours Men's Football Representing  Brazil (as player) FIFA World Cup Winner 1994 USA Runner-up 1998 France FIFA Confederations Cup Winner 1997 Saudi Arabia Copa América Winner 1989 Brazil Winner 1997 Bolivia Runner-up 1995 Uruguay Olympic Games Silver 1984 Los Angeles Team Pan American Games Silver 1983 Caracas FIFA U-20 World Cup Winner 1983 Mexico South American U-20 Championship Winner 1983 Bolivia Representing  Brazil (as manager) FIFA Confederations Cup Winner 2009 South Africa Copa América Winner 2007 Venezuela Olympic Games Bronze 2008 Beijing Team
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri (born October 31, 1963), better known as Dunga, is a famous Brazilian football manager and former player. He played as a defensive midfielder, a position that helps protect the team's defense. Dunga was the captain of the Brazilian national team when they won the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He even lifted the World Cup trophy!

Dunga is one of only two players in history to have played in a World Cup final, an Olympic final, a Confederations Cup final, and a continental championship final. He also coached the Brazilian national team twice. During his first time as coach (2006-2010), he led Brazil to win the 2007 Copa América and the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. He was later dismissed after the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He returned to coach Brazil in 2014 but was dismissed again in 2016 after the Copa América Centenario. He also coached Internacional in 2013.

His nickname, Dunga, comes from the Portuguese word for "Dopey." This is a character from the Disney movie Snow White. His uncle gave him this nickname because he was short as a child. Even though he grew taller, the nickname stuck!

Dunga's Football Journey

Playing for Clubs

Dunga was born in Ijuí, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. His family had roots in Italy and Germany. He played for many different football clubs during his career.

He played for Internacional in Brazil from 1980 to 1984, and again from 1999 to 2000. Other Brazilian clubs he played for include Corinthians (1984–85), Santos (1985–87), and Vasco da Gama (1987).

Dunga also played for several teams in Europe. These included Pisa (1987–88), Fiorentina (1988–92), and Pescara (1992–93) in Italy. He also played for VfB Stuttgart (1993–95) in Germany. Later, he moved to Japan to play for Jubilo Iwata (1995–98).

Playing for Brazil

Dunga played 91 games for the Brazilian national team, scoring six goals. His journey with the national team began in 1983.

Youth Teams

Dunga first played for Brazil in the 1983 FIFA World Youth Championship (now called the FIFA U-20 World Cup). He was the captain of the young Brazilian team. They won the tournament by beating Argentina in the final.

The next year, he helped Brazil win a silver medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Senior Team

Dunga joined the senior Brazilian team in 1987. His first game was a friendly match against England. In 1989, he helped Brazil win the 1989 Copa América by defeating Uruguay in Rio de Janeiro.

He was a key player for Brazil in the 1990 FIFA World Cup. However, the team did not do well and was knocked out early. Some people blamed Dunga for the team's style of play. This period was even called "Era Dunga" by some fans. They felt the team was playing a less exciting, more defensive style.

Despite this, Dunga was a very effective defensive midfielder. He was great at stopping opponents' attacks and then starting new attacks with his passes. He rarely tackled by sliding on the ground. Instead, he used his smart thinking and good timing to win the ball. Brazil's coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira, kept Dunga in the starting lineup for the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

In the 1994 World Cup in the United States, Dunga became the team captain. He took over from another player, Raí. Dunga then led the team to victory, lifting the World Cup trophy! In the final match against Italy, the game ended in a 0-0 tie. Dunga scored the third penalty kick in the shootout, helping Brazil win the championship.

Dunga remained captain for the next four years until the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Even though he was playing in Japan at the time, he was still a very important player. In the 1998 tournament, Brazil reached the final but lost to host country France 3-0. On the way to the final, Dunga scored a penalty kick in the semi-final shootout against the Netherlands.

Becoming a Coach

Coaching Brazil

Dunga coaching Brazil in 2006

On July 24, 2006, Dunga was chosen to be the new coach of the Brazil national team. This was a big step, as he had no previous coaching experience at a professional level. However, he started very well, winning four of his first five games.

His first game as coach was a 1-1 draw against Norway. Then, Brazil won 3-0 against their rivals, Argentina. They also beat Wales 2-0. Dunga looked for talented players from many different clubs, not just the biggest ones.

In 2007, Dunga led Brazil to win their second straight Copa América title. They beat Argentina 3-0 in the final. In 2009, his team also won the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. They made an amazing comeback in the final, winning 3-2 against the United States after being down 2-0.

At the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Brazil reached the quarter-finals. They lost 2-1 to the Netherlands. After this, Dunga announced he would step down as coach. Some people, like famous footballer Pelé, felt that Dunga should have picked younger players like Alexandre Pato and Neymar for the squad.

Coaching Internacional

On December 12, 2012, Dunga became the new coach of Internacional. This was the same club where he started and ended his playing career. However, he was fired on October 3, 2013, after the team had a series of losses.

Dunga also worked as a football commentator for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Return to Brazil

Dunga as the coach of Brazil in 2015

On July 22, 2014, Dunga was announced as the new manager of Brazil again. He replaced Luiz Felipe Scolari. This was his second time coaching the national team.

Dunga's first game back was a friendly match against Colombia, which Brazil won 1-0. He led Brazil to a winning streak, including victories against Ecuador, Argentina, Japan, Turkey, and Austria. In 2015, they continued their winning ways, beating France, Chile, Mexico, and Honduras in friendly matches.

2015 Copa América

Brazil started the tournament with a close 2-1 win against Peru. They then lost 1-0 to Colombia and won 2-1 against Venezuela. In the knockout stage, Brazil played against Paraguay. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, and Brazil lost 4-3 in a penalty shootout. This meant Brazil did not qualify for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, which was unusual for them.

Copa América Centenario

Brazil began the Copa América Centenario with a 0-0 draw against Ecuador. They then had a big 7-1 win over Haiti. However, they suffered a controversial 1-0 loss to Peru. This loss meant Brazil was eliminated from the tournament in the group stage. This had not happened since 1987. On June 14, 2016, Dunga was fired by the Brazilian Football Confederation.

Dunga's Playing Style

When Dunga was a younger player, he could play in different midfield roles. He was very mobile and had great energy. This allowed him to help with attacks and also defend well. As he got older, he became more focused on being a defensive midfielder.

He was excellent at protecting his team's defense. He was very steady when tackling opponents. Dunga had such good technique that he could often win the ball and pass it to a teammate in one smooth move. He always tried to play as simply as possible. If other players might touch the ball many times, Dunga would only touch it once or twice. This was because his first touch was so good.

He believed in moving the ball quickly to stretch the opposing team. So, he would pass the ball fast instead of holding onto it. His short passes were almost always perfect. He was calm when opponents pressured him and was great at shielding the ball with his body. He rarely gave the ball away. Dunga also had amazing vision and could make very accurate long passes. He was smart, worked hard, and had the skills to be both a ball-winner and a deep-lying playmaker. Many consider him one of the best defensive midfielders ever.

Honours

As a Player

Internacional

• Rio Grande do Sul State League: 1982, 1983, 1984

Vasco da Gama

• Rio de Janeiro State League: 1987

Júbilo Iwata

• J. League: 1997

Brazil U-20

• FIFA U-20 World Cup: 1983
• South American Youth Championship: 1983

Brazil

• FIFA World Cup: 1994
• FIFA Confederations Cup: 1997
• Copa América: 1989, 1997
• Olympic Silver Medal: 1984
• Pan American Games Silver Medal: 1983
• South American Pre-Olympic Tournament: 1984

Individual Awards

• World XI: 1990, 1991
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1994, 1998
• J. League Most Valuable Player: 1997
• J. League Best Eleven: 1997, 1998
• FIFA XI: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
• Golden Foot: 2010, as a football legend
• Fiorentina All-time XI

As a Manager

Internacional

• Rio Grande do Sul State League: 2013

Brazil

• Copa América: 2007
• Olympic Bronze Medal: 2008
• FIFA Confederations Cup: 2009
• Superclásico de las Américas: 2014

Individual Awards

• IFFHS World's Best National Coach: 2007

See also

In Spanish: Dunga para niños List of Brazil national football team managers