Tite talks about his year off from a strenuous coaching job
He raves about Neymar, Kevin De Bruyne and Italy under Roberto Mancini
He explains why Argentina is more than just a World Cup qualifier
“It is hardly possible to be in a country with 200 million Selection-To keep coaches for a long time, “said Luiz Felipe Scolari once about what is probably the most demanding job in worldfootball.
In fact, it could hardly be easier to assert oneself under the more than critical gaze of the successful Brazilian fans than to survive in the Gobi desert. Because winning alone is not enough for the Brazilians. Rather, one has to win with immeasurable self-confidence.
Mario Zagallo was the eighth coach of the Selection in the five years before Mexico 1970. In 1991, Carlos Alberto Parreira was the fourth coach in little more than a year. Ten years later, Scolari was the fourth in just nine months. Only one man has remained in the coaching bench in Brazil for more than five years, namely Flavio Costa, who led the team from 1944 to 1950.
A man who not only holds up, but has really blossomed in this position, is about to break this record. Tite has won 38 of 52 games as a coach and lost only four. In the last 21 World Cup qualifiers, Brazil have not suffered a single defeat and celebrated 16 wins.
The 59-year-old is responsible for the best start Brazil has ever made in a World Cup qualification. In contrast, even the achievements of Junior, Socrates, Zico and Co from 1981 pale. He succeeds in the feat of satisfying the infinitely demanding fans.
Tite cleared some time in his diary and spoke with FIFA.com about the upcoming matches against Colombia and Argentina, about Diego Maradona, Neymar, Philippe Coutinho and Alisson, his admiration for Roberto Mancini and Italy and for Kevin De Bruyne and explained why he took a year off to see football from a different perspective to study.
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FIFA.com: Tite, four games, twelve points, twelve goals and only two goals – how would you rate Brazil’s start to qualifying for the World Cup?
Tite: There is a story behind every game and every phase. We have to keep the big picture in mind. The pandemic has weakened us and affected the level of football. Roughly speaking, the level was higher than my expectations in three games. However, we struggled against Venezuela. It’s all a process of growth and learning. The points reflect the team’s performance and the total impresses me.
Next you will meet Colombia and Argentina. Both teams have been unbeaten since their defeat against Brazil at the Copa America and have stars like Dybala, Correa, Messi, Martinez and Agüero in the squad.
These are two very important games. The World Cup qualification is extremely balanced. The two games against Colombia in the last qualification were technically our best two games. Both teams played offensively, created chances and presented their opponents with major problems. They were very even games. These two games were very difficult for us. In the traditional derbies – Brazil against Argentina and Brazil against Uruguay – there is a very strong historical element. And Argentina have great players. For me, Brazil against Argentina is not just a World Cup qualifier but also a competition in its own right.
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See also
Tribute to Diego Maradona
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Speaking of Argentina, Diego Maradona recently passed away. What can you tell us about him?
Let me put it in the words of Careca, with whom I have a very good relationship. Maradona’s technical ability, his talent for improvisation, his creativity – simply indescribable. Careca always had to be absolutely on guard to keep up with this absolutely exceptional player. On the field, Maradona was absolutely extraordinary.
Speaking of great players, what do you think of Neymar?
Neymar has matured enormously. Before, when he was still with Barcelona, and in my early days with Selection he was mostly to be found on the wing, scored goals, was fast and strong at dribbling and showed strong individual performances. In the meantime he has significantly expanded his area of operation. He’s still a very dangerous scorer but he also creates a lot more chances for others. He is what we call a bow and arrow – he can prepare opportunities and he can successfully complete attacks. So he has significantly expanded his arsenal.
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How important is Philippe Coutinho to them Selection?
Since I took over as a trainer, the Selection go through different phases. The most memorable phase was in qualifying for the WM2018. That was the best version of the Selection. We created a lot of chances, scored a lot of goals, conceded only a few goals and were also very consistent. And we achieved all of this with very good football. Coutinho was an untied reinforcement in those qualifiers. In the beginning he was on the right side, had every freedom to develop. When Renato Augusto was injured, he played in the center, similar to his role at Liverpool. He was very strong there too. He’s gone through some ups and downs but he’s a great player and he’s in great shape right now.
Do you think Alisson is the best goalkeeper in the world?
I think being the best overall and the best at a given moment are two different things. Is it one of the top three in the world? I have absolutely no doubt about that, I am 100 percent convinced of it. To be able to say that he is the best, I would have to look very closely at the competitors. But I do think he was the best last year. Was he better than new? Yes. Better than Ter Stegen? Yes. Better than Oblak? Yes.
Besides Brazil, which teams do you think are the best in the world at the moment?
It’s hard to answer. Because of the pandemic, the teams currently hardly have the opportunity to show their skills. Brazil, Argentina and Colombia hardly had any games. The Europeans already had eight appointments, four more than we did. Italy returned with great football, which I really enjoy watching. Mancini did a great job. He set up a football school in the style of Arrigo Sacchi. The Italians now have a much better balance between their defensive, historically their greatest strength, and the offensive. Belgium still has this great generation. They make a great team, with fantastic individual players. One of the most talented players in the world is Kevin De Bruyne. France is also very strong.
Which three players do you currently consider to be the three best in the world?
The three for which I also choose to The Best – FIFA-Weltfussballer voted. Neymar, then Lewandowski, then De Bruyne. Before his injury, Neymar was in fantastic form by his own standards. Lewandowski is an incredible striker. And De Bruyne can do things that others cannot. His improvisation, his determination – I love watching him.
Can you tell us something about your decision to take a year off from coaching at the end of 2013, to travel the world and study football?
I’ve always studied football and want to expand my knowledge and my ideas. After my time with the Corinthians, there was the perfect opportunity to observe other coaches and teams more intensively and on site. I had won pretty much everything at club level, the Campeonato Brasileiro, the Copa Libertadores, the FIFA Club World Cup, where we beat Chelsea. The next step should be the Selection and I wanted to improve as much as possible as a coach. I’ve read books, about Simeone, about Guardiola. I looked at what Bianchi achieved at Boca Juniors and what made Cruyff move at Barcelona. Football is different all over the world. There are different things to learn in each place. I traveled to Bianchi and got acquainted with his ideas. That was very interesting. I spent some time at Arsenal. I was with Ancelotti at Real Madrid. I analyzed Manchester City, the English champions and Bayern Munich, the German champions. I wanted to learn as much as possible about what’s going on behind the scenes, training, tactics and how to do it on the field. Just everything. I watched all the games from the 2014 World Cup, made notes, and analyzed them down to the last detail. That time was very important for my career.
Which trainer did you learn the most from?
Ancelotti. The way Simeone organizes his teams is remarkable. Guardiola is impressive with his offensive tactics and the ability to crack any opponent. Bianchi has the incredible ability to get the most out of his players in important games. Some of Cruyff’s tactical ideas were absolutely fantastic. But most of all I learned from Ancelotti without a doubt. He sees football in his own unique way.
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