Tite confesses his enthusiasm and anxiety before a game with Argentina in the semifinals of the Copa America. He can't even sleep. Although he trusts in the quality of his team's collective, it's clear that his rivals have the best player in the world.
"Yesterday I couldn't have a good night. I'm not a superman. I'm like this. Yesterday I woke up at 3:15 a.m., I was thinking, and I'm used to score. That's the coach's madness, that's the coach's reality", he said.
The coach of the Canarinha believes that the same anxiety situation could be living Lionel Scaloni, the coach of Argentina.
He says the feeling is the same as before the 2016 match between the two teams in the qualifiers for Russia-2018, also in Belo Horizonte, where Brazil won 3-0.
For Tite, "Brazil comes after a process of evolution, of consolidation, taking a step forward in its generation of increasing confidence".
- Controlling Messi -
For the Coach of the local team, the quality of Argentina is unquestionable. It has "individualities, tactical variations that are also important. But we also have them, it's a great game", he said.
And it's clear that just as collective play is important, we must not forget that they have in their team the best player in the world, Lionel Messi.
"Argentina grew in collective terms. The collective potentiates the individualities. You can't cancel Messi. Their actions can be reduced but their actions cannot be neutralized", Tite explained.
However, he said Argentina will not be able to neutralize Coutinho, Firmino or David Neres. "At some point, they're going to be decisive".
- To overcome with loyalty -
Tite expects a fair match against Argentina. "We have expectations, I'm human. But our biggest victory is that we want to produce our best football. To know that we have to win with loyalty, that there can be no meanness," he said.
The coach that took over Brazil in 2016, football doesn't solve social problems, but it has an aspect of education.
"We have to win in the law of the game, winning by being the best, being proud of what can be achieved. That's my biggest motivation", he said.