Tite: Praises display, notes final third flaws, tough run ahead for Cruzeiro

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Deus me Dibre

·23 January 2026

Tite: Praises display, notes final third flaws, tough run ahead for Cruzeiro

The 1-0 defeat to Democrata, on Wednesday night at Mineirão, in the fourth round of the Campeonato Mineiro, left Cruzeiro without the result they expected in front of their fans. Despite the setback, coach Tite adopted a measured tone in the post-match press conference, valuing the team's performance, offensive volume, and the context of the early season, marked by ongoing preseason and a grueling sequence of matches.

Right from his initial analysis, the coach did not hide his frustration with the scoreline but emphasized that the performance shown by Raposa did not reflect the final result.

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“Negative result, upset about the defeat, the group is upset about the defeat. Alongside that, performance analysis: it was not what the score reflected, the volume, the opportunities, the build-ups, the initiations we had. In the final third, a bit more lucidity and precision, maybe justified by the start of the season, the imprecision. At times, the opposing goalkeeper, but the team's performance does not reflect the defeat that happened today.”

In an unusual scenario, with physical preparation still evolving and official matches happening simultaneously, the celestial commander reinforced the challenge faced by big teams at the start of the year. “It’s challenging, but for all the big teams. The time is the same for everyone. We need to take risks and get to know the players,” he explained, mentioning Neiser’s debut and the gradual return of recovering players. Even without the result, Tite said he was satisfied with the defensive consistency and the team’s build-up play.

Cruzeiro’s upcoming schedule promises to be demanding, with a derby against Atlético and, soon after, the debut in the Brazilian Championship. In this scenario, the coach made it clear that squad management will be fundamental.

“The same amount of time we have, the other teams will have too. The difference is that we have 24 hours less than our opponent for Sunday’s derby. It would be irresponsible to put the whole team out to play, with such a tough sequence of matches. It’s not just Thursday to Sunday. It’s Thursday, then Sunday, then Thursday again… you have to look at it more broadly. And you have to look at the whole squad. There are players, for example, Japa is great, from the matches he’s played, he’s been consistent, he can play, he’s already worn the shirt and doesn’t feel the pressure anymore. Just to give a positive example.”

Regarding Gerson’s debut, Tite explained his positioning and reinforced the idea that the collective must prevail over the individual.

“I understand all of you and I understand when you talk, but the magic has to come from the team, from the fans, from Pedrinho. Of course, in offensive terms, they (Gerson, Matheus Pereira, and Kaio Jorge) stand out more, but consistency has to be reiterated. To win, you have to attack, create, score goals. But you also need to win the ball from the opponent. When you have an external Gerson/midfielder, he will share creative actions inside and Christian can play in a second midfield position, on the left side, because that’s what will end up happening in the game.”

Asked about the difficulty against teams that play with a low block, the coach acknowledged the problem and pointed out solutions.

“With build-up and mid-range finishing, yes. It’s inevitable, because a team sits back, brings a line of 4 or 5 to the back and you open up the possibility for mid-range shots. Like what happened with Kenji, against Tombense. It happened with Wanderson against Uberlândia. And we tried that today as well. But with so little training time and just getting basic fitness, the specificity of finishing training is more limited. But it’s something we can improve.”

Tite avoided naming a fixed starting lineup for the rest of the season, highlighting that keeping the same team all the time would be unwise at this point. Even so, he indicated that, as the calendar advances, the tendency is for greater stability. The coach also praised center-back Bruno Alves, from the youth academy, projecting a promising future for the youngster, although he chose not to use him in the match.

When talking about his first derby in charge of Cruzeiro, Tite showed respect for the rivalry and asked that competitiveness remain on the pitch.

“God gave me Grenal, Corinthians vs Palmeiras, Fla-Flu, and Cruzeiro vs Atlético with all their magnitude. With all their competitiveness, but care must be taken not to let it turn into violence, not to take it off the pitch, and that it should be decided on the field, by whoever produces more, is more effective, creative, joyful, competent, and consistent, on the field. But it does make you anxious.”

Finally, the coach assessed the current stage of the team in relation to the game plan and physical condition, highlighting Gerson’s presence as a creative addition alongside Matheus Pereira.

“Let’s put it this way: the game plan is basically the same. With Gerson, you get a more creative player, together with Matheus, who can add if they play together. Want to see how a team plays without thinking? The first ball Matheus receives in the game, what pass does he make? A pass into space, as if it were Kaio, but it was Chico, who needed a shorter pass. That’s what, in this restart, we’re looking for with the team. To evolve, consistency and evolution.”

Finally, Tite updated the situation of goalkeeper Cássio, who had to leave the field at halftime after feeling an injury not yet disclosed by the club:

“I am worried, yes, but I avoided talking, I came to talk to you. The medical department can update later. I’m worried about him, but calm regarding Otávio, who, if he has to play, will play.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.