Muricy Ramalho was fired from Palmeiras on Friday. The manager only survived 34 matches with the club after being axed by São Paulo. It was at São Paulo that Muricy made a name for himself, winning three consecutive brasileiros. He was axed by São Paulo after failing to make steady progress in the Copa Libertadores.

Muricy is a manager that has been heavily linked with the national team job for quite some time. He will likely find work quickly, but failure to have success with his next team will most definitely hurt his national team credentials.

Palmeiras currently lie eighth in the Campeonato Paulista. This comes after the club faded badly once Muircy took over for Vanderlei Luxemburgo, with the club going from the top of the table to fifth by the end of the season. As a result, Palmerias missed out on this year’s Copa Libertadores by one spot.

Another bit of São Paulo related news was Morumbi Stadium being suspended by FIFA as a host for 2014. FIFA cited safety concerns as the reason for the suspension. FIFA’s general secretary stated, “As it is, we could not allow more than a group stage game and a quarter-final. Right now the stadium is not suitable to host the opening or a semi-final.”

Quite frankly, I am surprised FIFA singled out Morumbi as it, along with the Maracana are the most World Cup ready stadiums in Brazil. I would be stunned when all is said and done if the semis are not at the Morumbi. Its a privately run stadium, and should be one of the few we aren’t worried about in the lead up to the tournament. Bruno over at seethecup.com has a great older piece about the politics of the stadium process I highly recommend.