Rivaldo: give me World Cup spot or I may retire

RIVALDO has warned that he could retire from international football if he is not part of the plans for the 2006 World Cup.

The striker, who joined AC Milan from Barcelona in July, said he intended to bring up the subject with the eventual replacement for Brazil’s World Cup-winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who stepped down after last night’s friendly against Paraguay.

“Today is just a party but for me it’s time to think,” he said yesterday.

“I want to see if the next coach has plans for me at the World Cup. If he doesn’t, maybe I will stop before.

“We will have other important competitions such as the Copa America and the Olympics but the World Cup is everything a player dreams about,” he added.

“I will be 34 by then and we will have other good players. My continuing in the national team depends on this conversation.”

Rivaldo was one of the outstanding players at the 2002 World Cup but suffered much criticism for his performances in the qualifying competition, when Brazil finished fourth after losing six of their 18 games.

Brazil are not expected to name Scolari’s replacement until early next year.

The South American qualifying competition for 2006 could start as early as mid-2003, to allow enough time to fit in 18 rounds of matches. The Copa America is due to take place in Peru in 2004.

Meanwhile, Argentina have finally renewed the contract of coach Marcelo Bielsa, despite their World Cup disaster. The South Americans were one of the World Cup favourites, but failed to make it to the knockout stages of the finals in Japan and Korea.

It was the country’s worst performance at a finals since 1970. But an Argentine Football Association (AFA) official confirmed that after lengthy talks the coach has been persuaded to stay on. “Bielsa has signed the contract,” said Jose Luis Meiszner, a member of the three-man committee involved in the negotiations.

Bielsa was the only candidate for the job after former under-20 coach Jose Pekerman ruled himself out last month. The coach has been on the point of signing a new contract for nearly a month, and will formally announce his return at a news conference next week.

“It’s the first time that we have discussed hiring somebody who hasn't won and that for me seems to be a step forward,” he said. “The decision to appoint somebody to such an important position should always be based on a serious analysis, not just results. A lot of times, you get results which don't justify a positive analysis, and a lot of times it's the other way round.”

The eccentric Bielsa kept his job on the strength of his team's performances over the previous four years.

Argentina won the South American World Cup qualifying group - losing only once in 18 games - and impressed in beating Italy and Germany away in friendly internationals.

Reports say the 47-year-old Bielsa has been offered a contract to include the 2006 World Cup, should Argentina qualify, and has taken a significant wage cut.