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Pressured after the third consecutive defeat in the 2026 season, Tite publicly acknowledged that the strategy adopted at the beginning of the year directly contributed to the defeat suffered by the Cruise 4-0 against Botafogoin the debut of the Brazilian Championship.
In a press conference after the match, held at the Nilton Santos Stadium, on Thursday night (29/1), the coach admitted that the option to preserve athletes and rotate the squad compromised the team’s performance, which showed a lack of rhythm, intensity and organization against a more adjusted opponent.
“Perhaps the biggest mistake in the reflections I’m making was the strategy. I understood that preserving the team was the most important thing to regain rhythm, but adding the starters more often at the beginning of 2026 could have changed the scenario”, said Tite.
Gustavo Aleixo/Cruzeiro
Cruzeiro’s performance was marked by defensive weaknesses and difficulties in composing, efficiently exploited by Botafogo in quick counterattacks. According to the coach, the second goal conceded, in a moment of transition and attempted adjustments, ended up emotionally destabilizing the team.
Despite the negative start to the Brazilian ChampionshipTite highlighted that the moment requires immediate reaction. “It’s a tough lesson, but we need to recognize the scenario. There is no other way than to win games and recover the standard we showed last year”, he added.
Cruzeiro returns to the field on Sunday (1st/2), against Betim, in the sixth round of the Campeonato Mineiro, in a confrontation seen internally as essential to stop the negative streak and ease the pressure on the coaching staff.
Source: Press conference/sports coverage
✍️ Written by ContilNet
