Tite steps away from Brazil, says he is ‘at peace’ with tenure after penalty defeat to Croatia at 2022 World Cup

Brazilian manager Tite has confirmed that he will step away from his role with the national team following the defeat on penalties against Croatia in the 2022 World Cup on Friday.

It had always been expected that Tite would stand down at the World Cup, with he himself saying as much, but speaking after the defeat to Croatia he confirmed the decision.

“Painful defeat, but I’m at peace with myself. End of a cycle,” he said.

“I had already decided it over a year and a half ago, I’m not a guy who goes back on his words. I wasn’t planning to win and then make a drama to stay, anyone who knows me knows.

“The cycle (it’s over), as I said earlier, I already said it more than a year and a half ago. It was a process. The previous World Cup (2018) was a team formation recovery process and now it has had an entire sequence. The performance you do the evaluation, it is on display.”

Tite took over in 2016 after Dunga was fired following the catastrophic 1-0 loss to Peru in the 2016 Copa America Centenario and he led the team to the 2019 Copa America.

However there were failures at the same stage in both of his World Cups. Losing in the 2018 quarter-finals to Belgium and now Croatia in the 2022 edition. They also lost the 2021 Copa America final to fierce rivals Argentina.

He leaves with a record of 60 wins in 81 matches, with just six defeats. Earlier in the year he told SporTV, “I’m going until the end of the World Cup,

“I have no reason to lie here. I don’t want to win any way. I’ve won everything in my career, the only thing missing is the World Cup.”

He reportedly plans to take a sabbatical before thinking about returning to Brazilian football, where he most recently won the league title with Corinthians in 2015.

When asked about the legacy he leaves Tite replied “Time may answer that better.

“The pain, however human, coherent, conscious I may have, the emotion is too much. I am not in a position to evaluate all the work carried out. Over time you will make this assessment. I don’t have that ability now after an elimination.”

The CBF said before the World Cup that they won’t deal with the question of Tite’s successor until January.

The dream target for Brazil has always reportedly been Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, although he recently signed a new contract with the Premier League side.

Highly thought of Palmeiras manager Abel Ferreira is reportedly another name under consideration as well as current Fluminense boss Fernando Diniz.