Tite

Lore & Background

Tite played from 1978 to 1984 for Caxias, then a season for Esportivo de Bento Gonçalves and a season for Portuguesa. The three following seasons from 1986 to 1989 at Guarani were his most successful as player. At age 27, he ended his career due to successive knee injuries. In 1990, Tite began coaching, leading Caxias to the 2000 Campeonato Gaúcho defeating Grêmio before moving to that club, with whom he won the same tournament and the Copa do Brasil in 2001. He stayed until 2003 when Tite trained other teams: São Caetano, Corinthians in 2004, Atlético Mineiro in 2005, Palmeiras in 2006, and Al Ain in 2007. From 2008 to 2009 he trained Internacional and they won the 2008 Copa Sudamericana and the 2009 Campeonato Gaúcho. At the end of 2010 he was announced as a coach of Al Wahda, but left months later to return to Corinthians. For Corinthians, Tite won the 2011 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A title, the 2012 Copa Libertadores title, the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup title against Chelsea, the 2013 Campeonato Paulista and the 2013 Recopa Sudamericana. On 14 November 2013, Tite announced he was leaving the club. After a sabbatical, Tite returned to Corinthians in 2015, where they won the 2015 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. He was manager of the Brazil national team from 2016 to 2022, winning the 2019 Copa América and reaching the quarter-finals of the World Cup in 2018 and 2022. He won the Campeonato Carioca with Flamengo in 2024 and the Campeonato Mineiro with Cruzeiro in 2026, thereby matching Telê Santana's feat of winning Brazil's four most important state leagues.

In Their Own Story

The humidity of the Japanese summer hung heavy over the International Stadium Yokohama, but inside the Corinthians dressing room, the air was electric with controlled tension. Tite stood before his squad, their faces smeared with sweat from the pre-match warm-up, eyes fixed on him. "They are giants," he said softly, pointing to the Bayern Munich kit hanging in the locker room, "but today, they are just men who have never felt this hunger." He looked at Paulinho, at Cássio, at each face individually. "We do not play for glory. We play because we are Corinthians. Go out there and make them remember our name forever." The silence that followed was not fear, but a vow.

Reader's Guide

Tite is a Brazilian football coach and former midfielder. He played for Caxias, Esportivo de Bento Gonçalves, Portuguesa, and Guarani, ending his playing career at age 27 due to knee injuries. He began coaching in 1990 and achieved notable success with Grêmio (2001 Copa do Brasil), Internacional (2008 Copa Sudamericana), and Corinthians (2011 and 2015 Brazilian Série A, 2012 Copa Libertadores, 2012 FIFA Club World Cup, 2013 Campeonato Paulista, 2013 Recopa Sudamericana). He later managed the Brazil national team (2016–2022), winning the 2019 Copa América, and won state leagues with Flamengo (2024) and Cruzeiro (2026).

Did You Know?

• Tite's nickname originated when he was mistakenly called 'Tite' after another midfielder when presented by Luiz Felipe Scolari at Caxias.
• Tite won Brazil's four most important state leagues: Campeonato Gaúcho, Campeonato Paulista, Campeonato Carioca, and Campeonato Mineiro.
• Tite ended his playing career at age 27 due to successive knee injuries that caused him to lose mobility in one knee.