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Santos coach Leao to stay on after surviving frying
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-04-16 10:23

Santos coach Emerson Leao is to keep his job after surviving a process known in Brazil as frying.

A club spokesman announced that the former Brazil World Cup goalkeeper held a three-hour clear-the-air meeting with club president Marcelo Teixeira and it was agreed he would stay on.

"(Teixeira) was satisfied with the explanations given by Leao over remarks he made after the game (against Wilstermann on Wednesday)," the spokesman said.

"For this reason, he will continue to be coach of Santos."

Controversy erupted on Monday when Teixeira announced that goalkeeper Doni and striker Robson, two players signed on Leao's advice, would be leaving the club after only three months.

Brazilian media interpreted the move as the start of the "frying" process of forcing Leao to quit by making his position untenable.

Leao, who led Pele's former club to their first Brazilian championship title in 2002, criticised the decision after his team beat Bolivia's Wilstermann 5-0 in a South American Libertadores Cup match.

"Of course I was upset about it," Leao said.

"But I'm not the boss. And if I don't agree with what the boss is doing, then I have to leave."

Leao, who coached Brazil for eight months between 2000 and 2001, was credited with reviving the fortunes of Pele's former club and developing a generation of talented players including midfielders Renato and Diego and winger Robinho.

He also led Santos to the final of last year's Libertadores where they lost to Argentina's Boca Juniors.

Leao fell out of favour with directors this year for repeatedly substituting Diego and for failing to take Santos to the final of the Paulista (Sao Paulo state) championship, a prelude to the Brazilian season.

 
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