July 13 – Brazil coach Tite has criticised Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez and defended his team’s Copa America performance after narrow defeat in the final against rivals Argentina.
Tite, who had already been fined earlier in the competition for maligning the South American governing body, aimed his criticism explicitly at the continent’s football supremo.
“The organization of the competition was very fast, and left a lot to be desired. The quality of the pitches… we almost lost Everton in training, because the pitch played up and he had a dislocation of his finger. I am talking specifically about the person in charge, Alejandro, who is the president of Conmebol. I’m talking about him, for having organised a competition in such a short space of time,” said Tite.
The Copa America was shifted at the very last minute from original co-hosts Argentina and Colombia to Brazil, with the help of both the Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF) and Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, but the decision prompted a major backlash as Brazil struggled to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tite and his players made it clear that they did not want the tournament to take place in Brazil, and the coach was ridiculed by Brazil’s Vice-President Hamilton Mourao and threatened with the sack by CBF president Rogerio Caboclo, who has since been suspended pending an investigation into sexual harassment.
On the field, Brazil conceded a goal from Angel di Maria to lose the final 1-0 against Argentina, leaving Tite under pressure again from his detractors and parts of the Brazilian public who believe the coach applies an overly cautious style. Ever since Brazil crashed out of the 2018 World Cup in Russia in the last eight against Belgium, Tite has received plenty of scrutiny despite winning the 2019 Copa America and maintaining an almost perfect record, topping the South American World Cup qualifying table.
“What I can say about the Brazilian team is that these 40 days together they did the best job possible, using many important players, I try rotating tactical moves and lineups,” said Tite. “It is up to me to work and demonstrate it on the field. The analysis, with criticism or praise, is at your discretion, not mine.”
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