SAO PAULO: Carlos Alberto Parreira, Brazil’s World Cup-winning coach in 1994, has said that anything less than victory in 2014 will be considered a failure.

Parreira’s comments echoed those of other observers who have suggested that the priority for Brazil is the performance of the national team and not the state of readiness of the country in terms of infrastructure.

He said: “The team will have to be prepared to deal with the impatience from fans. Brazil will have to be perfect both on and off the field.  Brazil have  an obligation to win the World Cup at home and that there won’t be excuses good enough to justify not doing that.

“We have the responsibility, we have to win the World Cupin Brazil. Anything less is unimaginable, unthinkable.”

Parreira warned that Brazil’s players will have to prepare for their fans’ heightened expectations.

He said: “The pressure will be enormous. The team will have to be prepared to deal with the impatience from fans. Brazil will have to be perfect both on and off the field.”

Parreira, 69, also coached the 2006 team who lost in the quarter-finals in Germany.

He thought the  London Olympics would give coach Mano Menezes one last  “golden chance” to test players for the World Cup.

“Until the Olympics,” added Parreira, ” you have to make tests because you only see a player’s potential by watching him play. But, after that, there will be very few opportunities and it will be necessary to establish the team and work with it.”

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