Tite was called a “coward” by Marco Etcheverry, El Diablo, one of the greatest players in Bolivian history, after the coach’s criticism about the Brazilian team having to play at the altitude of La Paz (3,600 m).
In an ironic tone, the former player also wished that the Brazilians would score at least four goals in this Tuesday’s game (29), for the Qualifiers, not to hear any more excuses from rivals. The provocation had an effect and Brazil will return home with a 4-0 rout.
Lucas Paquetá, in the 23rd minute of the first half, and Richarlison, in the 45th minute, opened the way to victory. After the break, Bruno Guimarães, at 21, and Richarlison again, in stoppage time, scored the winning goals.
It was only the third Brazilian victory in the city. The last one had been in 1997, in the final of the Copa América, and the first registered in 1981, for the Qualifiers.
In addition to the triumph, the selection did not cower even with the athletes showing a greater fatigue than usual due to the altitude, something that Tite had classified as “inhuman”. Even with a three-goal lead, he kept trying to extend the score until the end.
The coach’s speech bothered not only El Diabo but also former Bolivian president Evo Morales, who countered the coach’s argument.
“We reject that Tite, Brazil’s coach, says that it is inhumane to play football in a place where millions of people live. Greatness is recognized in words, so we remember the greatest, Diego Armando Maradona, who said: ‘You have to play where born, brothers,'” the political leader wrote on Twitter.
The vice president of the Bolivian Football Federation, Edwin Callapino, was another who expressed discomfort with the statement and said he will make a formal protest at the next CONMEBOL meeting.
“It is illogical what he [Tite] said and in Bolivia it is played at an even higher altitude. Let’s analyze the issue so that in the next Qualifiers they don’t talk like that”, said the leader.
While the Bolivians were in trouble —and only in the penultimate position of the Qualifiers—​ the Brazilian team reached 45 points and surpassed the score made by Argentina in the 2002 cycle, when the Argentines totaled 43. Now, Brazil has the best campaign in the history of the dispute since the adoption of the running point format.
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