Brazil's football federation (CBF) has unveiled plans for an under-20 national league as part of an overhaul of the country's youth structure.

The CBF's junior development coordinator Alexandre Gallo said the proposal was being discussed along with a possible under-15 Copa do Brasil tournament.

"We are hoping to make these (competitions) viable and as soon as we have news we will make an announcement," Gallo said on the CBF's official website.

"The clubs have requested this. They want a larger volume of competitive matches during the year. We are going to meet their demands."

In the past two years the CBF has implemented under-17 and under-20 Copa do Brasil tournaments.

But their knockout format means participating teams may only have one fixture in each competition.

An under-20 league would allow clubs to test players over a 38-match home-and-away season, replicating the national Serie A championship.

Plans for the new under-age competitions emerged after the CBF announced it would build 15 training centers to develop the nation's elite youngsters.

The facilities are earmarked for states that did not receive matches during this year's World Cup and are understood to be modeled on Germany's successful academy structure.

According to the Globo newspaper, funds will be drawn from a 100 million-US-dollar World Cup pledge by football's governing body FIFA to develop grassroots football in Brazil.

Gallo said the centers would also help prepare managers, skills coaches and other football professionals.

In addition, CBF officials are in talks with federal authorities about implementing coaching programs for children under the age of 14 without breaching underage labor laws.

The first of the youth training centers is already under construction in the northern city of Belem.

Brazil's renewed focus on junior development was sparked by the Selecao's 7-1 World Cup semifinal defeat to Germany in July.

But the humiliating loss in Belo Horizonte is not the only reason for the overhaul.

The CBF is understood to be increasingly concerned by the drain of young talent to European rivals amid a lack of opportunities at home.

Among Brazil-born players to have sworn their allegiance to other countries in the past decade are Diego Costa (Spain), Thiago Alcantara (Spain), Pepe (Portugal), Thiago Motta (Italy) and Rodrigo (Spain). Endi

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