International Football
Tite bows out as Brazil coach after ‘painful’ exit
Tite confirmed that it was the “end of a cycle” for him as coach of Brazil after the favourites were dumped out of the World Cup in the quarter-finals on penalties by Croatia on Friday.
The 61-year-old, who has been in charge since 2016, had previously made it no secret that he would leave the position after the tournament in Qatar, regardless of the outcome.
“It is a painful defeat but I go in peace. It is the end of a cycle,” he told reporters after Brazil’s dramatic exit from the competition at Doha’s Education City Stadium.
“I already said that a year and a half ago. I didn’t come here to win and then turn around and say I was going to stay. People who know me know that.”
After a goalless 90 minutes, Brazil took the lead through Neymar midway through extra time only for Bruno Petkovic to equalise for Croatia in the 117th minute.
That meant penalties, and Rodrygo’s first kick for Brazil was saved by Croatia’s Man of the Match Dominik Livakovic.
With Croatia scoring four penalties, Marquinhos had to convert when he stepped up for Brazil, only to hit the post.
Tite had already overseen a quarter-final exit at the hands of Belgium at the last World Cup in Russia four years ago.
In between, Brazil won the Copa America on home soil in 2019 but then lost the final of that tournament as hosts to Argentina last year.
The Brazilian Football Confederation has previously said it will not choose its next coach until January.
Neymar was to take 5th penalty
Asked to assess his time in charge, Tite said: “In time, I will be able to respond better.
“I am not in a position now to evaluate all the work we have done, but as time goes by, you will be able to make that assessment.
“I don’t have the capacity to do that now after we have been eliminated.”
Meanwhile, Tite was asked why Neymar did not step up to take Brazil’s fourth penalty instead of Marquinhos when they had to score just to stay alive in the shoot-out.
“Because he takes the fifth and decisive penalty,” he explained.
“The player with the most quality and the right mentality steps up when there is the most pressure.”
Neymar never got the chance to take a penalty, having earlier equalled Pele’s record of 77 goals for the Brazilian team.
It is just the second time Brazil have lost a penalty shoot-out at the World Cup, after they were beaten by France in the same way at the quarter-final stage of the 1986 tournament in Mexico.
“When you lead 1-0 in extra time and then you concede the equaliser 13 minutes into the second half of extra time, it is difficult,” Tite said of his team’s state of mind going into the shoot-out.
“It is difficult to stay mentally strong in a situation like that.”
–AFP
Former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has been named the new head coach of the England national team, the country’s Football Association said in a statement on Wednesday.
The German, who is England’s third foreign manager, after Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello, will be assisted by Englishman Anthony Barry, the statement added.
“We are thrilled to have hired Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world and Anthony Barry who is one of the best English coaches to support him,” FA CEO Mark Bullingham said.
Tuchel replaces Lee Carsley, England’s under-21 manager, who has been in temporary charge since the resignation of Gareth Southgate after England’s defeat by Spain in the Euro 2024 final in July.
-Reuters
German Thomas Tuchel has been appointed head coach of the England national team on Wednesday.
Born: Aug. 29, 1973 in Krumbach, Germany.
PLAYING CAREER
* Tuchel played for his local club TSV Krumbach, before moving to FC Augsburg’s academy at the age of 15.
* He never played for Augsburg’s senior side and joined German second division team Stuttgarter Kickers in 1992.
* After eight league appearances for Kickers, Tuchel moved to fourth-tier SSV Ulm.
* Tuchel made 69 league appearances for Ulm as a central defender before he was forced to retire in 1998 at the age of 25 due to a knee injury.
COACHING CAREER
* Tuchel began his coaching career with a youth team role at VfB Stuttgart in 2000, working with future Germany internationals Mario Gomez and Holger Badstuber.
* He returned to Augsburg and took charge of their reserve team for the 2007-08 season.
* Tuchel was appointed Mainz 05 manager in 2009, replacing compatriot Juergen Klopp.
* He guided Mainz to Bundesliga stability during his five-year stint at the club, gaining plaudits for his team’s high energy, attacking style of play.
* Tuchel took over from Klopp as Borussia Dortmund coach in 2015.
* He led Dortmund to a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2017 German Cup final. He was sacked by Dortmund three days later.
* Tuchel joined Paris St Germain in 2018 on a two-year contract, replacing Unai Emery.
* He won two Ligue 1 titles, including a domestic quadruple in his second season, and guided the club to their first Champions League final, where they lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich.
* Tuchel was sacked by PSG on Christmas Eve in 2020, despite the club finishing top of their Champions League group and sitting third in the Ligue 1 table.
* He was named Chelsea manager in January 2021 on an initial 18-month contract following the dismissal of Frank Lampard.
* Tuchel revived the team’s Premier League season and guided the London club to the Champions League final, where they beat Manchester City. Chelsea also won the Super Cup and Club World Cup.
* Chelsea sacked Tuchel in September 2022 following a shock 1-0 defeat at Dinamo Zagreb in their opening Champions League group game.
* Bayern Munich appointed Tuchel to succeed Julian Nagelsmann in March last year.
* Bayern decided to let Tuchel go at the end of the 2023-24 season despite a contract until 2025. Tuchel steered Bayern to the Bundesliga title in 2022-23, but they finished the last campaign without any silverware for the first time in more than a decade.
* Tuchel will become England’s third foreign manager after Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello.
* Tuchel will take over the team in January ahead of the qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup.
-Reuters
Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Mateus Mane has become hot property after Portugal named the 17-year-old in their Under-18 squad on Friday, one day after England included him in their squad.
Mane was called up for a second successive England youth camp by coach Liam Bramley before the team travel to Marbella for a four-team tournament this month.
Mane is eligible for both teams having played for the Portugal Under-17 side last season. As the Under-18 team is a non-UEFA age group, both nations are entitled to call the player up.
He made his England international debut last month against the Portugal Under-18 side who have named Mane in their squad for a four-nation tournament this month.
With both tournaments running concurrently, Mane can only play for one team and Wolves and England confirmed he would feature in Bramley’s side.
Reuters has contacted Portugal’s football association for clarification.
While players with multiple nationalities have played for more than one country if they are eligible, they are not allowed to switch allegiances at senior level – unless they have played only in friendly matches for the first country.
-Reuters
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