At 64 years old, Gaucho returns to football after leaving Flamengo in September 2024
Cruzeiro announced this Tuesday (16) the hiring of Tite as the team’s new coach. The gaucho signed a one-year contract and arrives to replace Leonardo Jardim, who left the club for personal reasons. The presentation took place after a visit to Toca da Raposa, where Tite learned about the club’s structure alongside the owner of SAF, Pedro Lourenço, directors and members of the football department. The new celestial coach’s contract runs until the end of 2026.
Along with the coach, assistants Matheus Bachi and Vinicius Bergantin join the technical committee, as well as physical trainer Fábio Mahseredjian. The group will begin work in the pre-season, at the beginning of January. Upon leaving the training center, Tite spoke briefly to the press and said he felt “pride and gratitude” for the invitation.
At 64 years old, Tite returns to football after leaving Flamengo in September 2024. Rio de Janeiro champion for the red-black club at the beginning of the year, he ended his work amid criticism of the team’s offensive performance and elimination in the Copa Libertadores. Since then, the coach had not taken on another project, despite previous negotiations with Corinthians, which were interrupted due to mental health issues.
Recognized as one of the most successful coaches in Brazilian football in recent decades, Tite built his career based on tactical organization, defensive balance and squad management based on meritocracy. His most notable period at club level was at Corinthians, where he won two Brazilian Championships (2011 and 2015), the Copa Libertadores and the 2012 Club World Cup, as well as state and continental titles.
Between 2016 and 2022, he commanded the Brazilian team, winning the 2019 Copa América and eliminations in the quarterfinals of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. In total, he left Brazil with a performance rate of close to 80%.
This will be Tite’s second stint in Minas Gerais football. In 2005, he led Atlético-MG in the Brazilian Championship. Now, he takes over Cruzeiro with the mission of giving stability to the team and starting a new cycle from next season. Raposa debuts in the Campeonato Mineiro on January 10, against Pouso Alegre, in Mineirão, and starts the Brasileirão against Botafogo, in Rio de Janeiro.
