Brazil implements curbs to end coaching 'musical chairs'

(Reuters) - The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said on Wednesday it will try to halt the high turnover of coaches at first division teams by introducing hiring and firing restrictions for next season.

Brazilian clubs are notorious for their lack of patience, with some teams changing coaches three or four times a year.

Only three of Serie A's 20 sides retained the same coach for the whole of last season, while all four of the relegated teams had at least three managers, newspaper Folha de S.Paulo said on its website.

Under the new CBF rules, teams will only be able to fire a coach and bring in a new one from outside the club once per season. The rule also applies to coaches, who can resign and join another team only once.

“This is a great advance for Brazilian football and it will be good for both the clubs as well as the coaches,” CBF President Rogerio Caboclo said in a statement.

“It implies a more mature relationship and allows for longer and more consistent work. It is the end of musical chairs for coaches.”

If a team does fire more than one coach it cannot hire a replacement from outside the organisation and instead must appoint someone who has been working at the club for at least six months, the CBF said.

A club is free to hire externally if a coach resigns.

This first division's new season starts on May 29 and ends Dec. 5.

(Reporting by Andrew Downie; Editing by Peter Rutherford)