Doha: “I cannot bear the responsibility of the last 20 years. I have been coach only for the last four.”
Tite, that broad-shouldered, barrel-chested Brazilian coach with a dancer’s loose limbs, was being asked about legacy. He has been bestowed with the responsibility of delivering the nation’s sixth World Cup title, their first in 20 years. Accused of being workmanlike and pragmatic, eschewing the very soul that makes Brazilian football, well, Brazilian, Tite walks a fine line.
It is not as if he is unaware of what the 20 years and those four years in charge entail. But in the eternal Brazilian pursuit of beauty, one that combines that delicate balance of result and romance, Tite understands what is more quantifiable. In a world that worships numbers, accolade with result trumps recognition without it.
“We have a beautiful history,” he said, but reminded us, “but that history has a degree of pressure. Brazil is passionate about its football, but for our boys, football is also a tool for education.”
He was drawing the line, but in the paradoxes that Brazilian football instinctively brings with it, he was also telling us to not stop dreaming. “Dreaming is part of our life. We are a people that dream. We dream to be the winner, in case we cannot be, we will try our best to get there, because there can only be one winner.”
Then he added, almost as if making a mental note to himself: “It’s good to dream.”
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