Tite Quits Role As Brazil Coach After Unexpected 2022 World Cup Exit To Croatia.

Adenor Leonardo Bacchi, commonly known as Tite, has quit his role as Brazil head coach after their shock elimination from the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The South Americans were tipped as pre-tournament favourites to go all the way in Qatar and put in a number of stunning displays along the way.

The Selecao lost 4-2 to to a resilient Croatia side in a penalty shoot-out, after their round-of-16 tie ended in a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes of football at Doha’s Education City Stadium on Friday evening.

Brazil players and fans were afterwards in tears following a disappointing show at the tournament.

After signing a four-year extension back in 2018, Tite did warn the Brazilian Football Federation. It's a rough way to go but wanted to honor his word.

He had previously made it no secret that he would leave the position after the tournament in Qatar, regardless of the outcome.

Speaking after the game, Tite revealed it was “the end of my cycle”.

“It is a painful defeat but I go in peace. It is the end of a cycle,” he told reporters after Brazil’s shocking elimination from the tournament.

“I already said that a year and a half ago. I didn’t come here to win and then turn around and say I was going to stay. People who know me know that.”

When asked why Neymar did not step up to take Brazil’s fourth penalty instead of Marquinhos when they had to score just to stay alive in the shoot-out.

“Because he takes the fifth and decisive penalty,” Tite explained.

“The player with the most quality and the right mentality steps up when there is the most pressure.”

Despite scoring the only goal for the Selecao in the first-half of extra-time, to equal Pele’s record of 77 goals for the Brazilian team, Neymar never got the chance to take a penalty.

This is Neymar's third consecutive World Cup and the PSG star can't get past the quarterfinals, he missed the 2010 call-up and has gone through multiple problems every time since. 

This would also be the second time Brazil have lost a penalty shoot-out at the World Cup, after they were beaten by France in the same way at the quarter-final stage of the 1986 tournament in Mexico.

“When you lead 1-0 in extra time and then you concede the equaliser 13 minutes into the second half of extra time it is difficult,” Tite said of his team’s state of mind going into the shoot-out.

“It is difficult to stay mentally strong in a situation like that.”

The 61-year-old Tite, took over Brazilian national team in 2016 after replacing Dunga, and crashed out the quarter-final of the last World Cup at the hands of Belgium in Russia four years ago.

In between, Brazil won the Copa America on home soil in 2019 but then lost the final of that tournament as hosts to Argentina last year.

The ex-Corinthians boss managed 81 matches, winning 60 of those contests.

Brazil are now looking to regroup ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will be a 48-team extravaganza held in North America.

The Brazilian Football Confederation, now has a complicated task to pick the next manager for Brazil after previously saying it will not choose its next coach until January.

Meanwhile, in the second quater-final clash on the day, Argentina beat Netherlands 4-3 on penalties to reach semi-finals. 

The Netherlands and Argentina quarter final went into extra time with score level at 2-2 after two goals from substitute Wout Weghorst dragged the Dutch back into the game.

Argentina would now battle the 2018 World Cup finalist Croatia for a place in this year's World Cup final.