Link to the YouTube interview :
View: https://youtu.be/E8SKd91YnfE?si=8w8Bxt5lp9C73B5z
"We are here in Las Vegas with the coach of the Brazilian national team, Dorival Júnior. The players have already started to return to their destinations, but the technical committee will only return to Brazil on Tuesday. We have this opportunity to talk a little with Dorival about everything that happened in this Copa América, a little over 24 hours later. Dorival, have you been able to assimilate what happened? What is your assessment looking at the whole story that was written during the period Brazil was here in the United States?
In general, it was a very important period for all of us. People asked for a change, a renewal within our team, but for that to be confirmed, it needs to go through processes. It's a natural transformation; there is no magic, it doesn't happen overnight. I believe we have grown a lot as a team, as a group. We had some important games, we played on smaller fields, which all teams had the same difficulties as Brazil in creating ease to score. We lived a new situation within the Copa América, we faced very difficult opponents, but even so, I believe we played equal games for this moment that Brazil lives, a little different from most of the great teams of our continent like Uruguay, Argentina, and Colombia, which are already a little further ahead in terms of work. But even so, I think it was a very well-utilized period. The CBF gave us all the possible conditions within what we needed, the players' commitment, the intensity, everything that was done over this period. I believe that although the fans may not understand why—because we always expect results, victories, etc.—this renewal process goes through this principle. The gain was very high; I'm sure of it. We left much stronger than when we arrived. I even heard from some players that when they arrived, they had an idea of what could happen but didn't have the confidence that they could achieve it. And suddenly, all of this was being built over the days. At the end, at the moment of the last match, we were all certainly focused on the same objective, all very concentrated so that we could do our best. We naturally had fluctuations; we could perhaps have delivered a more technical game. This difficulty all teams went through and reported in the same way, so you see, it's not an excuse, never. But I'm sure we grew a lot, respecting all these processes and trying to accelerate all of them. I believe we had a considerable gain that maybe will be recovered later on.
The perception we had, Dorival, is that perhaps a good part of our players couldn't perform the same as they did in their clubs during the season, for example, in this Copa América. I don't know if you agree with this, but in your view, is it an individual issue, a collective issue? Is there a diagnosis because a lot was expected from some names, and perhaps we couldn't see the same performance in the national team as in the clubs at the end of the season?
I think we have to make a broader assessment within the Copa América. We saw the games so plastic, so technical, the great players of the Copa América also stood out in some way. It didn't happen at all, so you see, the end of the season is very complex, very difficult for everyone. We could change, have other players in the national team, the best are there, the best were called up. I think we are extremely meticulous in all aspects. It's natural that we had a list with 45-47 names, you suddenly discuss one or two names. I also discuss one or two, any other colleague in the same way, but the vast majority were there gathered. What I see is the collective work in general, and I believe there was a great evolution. It's very difficult to explain at this moment, evolution, not happening, victories, or phase advancements, but we who have lived this for years and years, we are aware, and I'm sure that our path is a path of emission. Everything is a matter of time, naturally, of training, work, games, etc., so that soon, ahead, we can have and live, who knows, another condition. I trust a lot, I believe a lot, and I'm sure we're on a great path.
I wanted to take this time here with you to talk about perhaps the thing that most resonated after the elimination against Uruguay, which was the issue there of the image of the moment of the circle when I asked you the question in the press conference. I already had an idea of the proportion that it was taking in Brazil, and my intention was to give you the opportunity to explain because the thing was taking on a proportion, the cutout of the image, that many people said that when you raised your hand, you were trying to speak, and that people disregarded what you were trying to say at that moment. It was an immense proportion, so there in a small space that we had, because in the end, I can't have the microphone to develop the subject with you, the intention was to hear you. And now I wanted to ask you calmly, when you looked at everything, the size of the proportion that it took, how did you feel? Did you feel disrespected in any way? Do you think that people made an interpretation of a cutout that had nothing to do with what was happening there at the moment?
First, Monique, I was an athlete for 18 years. I participated in many decisions of this type, naturally in clubs, and I never liked to hear anything from the moment the referee's whistle ended. I always concentrated a lot because I had trained for possible penalties, I had prepared myself, what I needed was an emotional recomposition for that moment at the end of a 90 or 120-minute match, so I always had that very much with me. I never participated in any circle because I think it's the moment of the athlete with the athlete. If I take a clipboard in my hand to demonstrate authority, to demonstrate security, I don't need it, then I don't have the capacity to be a coach. Everything had already been defined, the shooters at that moment, because you work with variations throughout the match, you never know who will finish the match. At the same time that it was already defined, I let the players feel at ease. This happened the other day at São Paulo Futebol Clube, the last club I was at, a decision precisely against Sport. I let the players feel at ease because it's their moment with them. The only word I said was concentration, worry about that. I saw, in general, the team was calm, there was no need to intervene. Why? Either an excessive tranquility or an excessive nervousness, the coach needs to intervene. I noticed, I spoke with another player before we closed, there was no problem at that moment. The fourth official calls me precisely to point out who would be the cut because they had had a player sent off, and we would need a cut at that moment. I didn't know the number of Arana's shirt, I told him it would be Guilherme Arana, I didn't know if it was number 16, 26, and when I returned the circle was naturally already formed, I just keep an eye on observing what is happening. I wanted to talk to Alisson, I was looking for Alisson around the circle, when they finished the motivation among themselves, Alisson came out, I went to talk to Alisson about a detail of the kicks. Nothing beyond that. I was very upset with everything that happened."
"We are here in Las Vegas with the coach of the Brazilian national team, Dorival Júnior. The players have already started to return to their destinations, but the technical committee will only return to Brazil on Tuesday. We have this opportunity to talk a little with Dorival about everything that happened in this Copa América, a little over 24 hours later. Dorival, have you been able to assimilate what happened? What is your assessment looking at the whole story that was written during the period Brazil was here in the United States?
In general, it was a very important period for all of us. People asked for a change, a renewal within our team, but for that to be confirmed, it needs to go through processes. It's a natural transformation; there is no magic, it doesn't happen overnight. I believe we have grown a lot as a team, as a group. We had some important games, we played on smaller fields, which all teams had the same difficulties as Brazil in creating ease to score. We lived a new situation within the Copa América, we faced very difficult opponents, but even so, I believe we played equal games for this moment that Brazil lives, a little different from most of the great teams of our continent like Uruguay, Argentina, and Colombia, which are already a little further ahead in terms of work. But even so, I think it was a very well-utilized period. The CBF gave us all the possible conditions within what we needed, the players' commitment, the intensity, everything that was done over this period. I believe that although the fans may not understand why—because we always expect results, victories, etc.—this renewal process goes through this principle. The gain was very high; I'm sure of it. We left much stronger than when we arrived. I even heard from some players that when they arrived, they had an idea of what could happen but didn't have the confidence that they could achieve it. And suddenly, all of this was being built over the days. At the end, at the moment of the last match, we were all certainly focused on the same objective, all very concentrated so that we could do our best. We naturally had fluctuations; we could perhaps have delivered a more technical game. This difficulty all teams went through and reported in the same way, so you see, it's not an excuse, never. But I'm sure we grew a lot, respecting all these processes and trying to accelerate all of them. I believe we had a considerable gain that maybe will be recovered later on.
The perception we had, Dorival, is that perhaps a good part of our players couldn't perform the same as they did in their clubs during the season, for example, in this Copa América. I don't know if you agree with this, but in your view, is it an individual issue, a collective issue? Is there a diagnosis because a lot was expected from some names, and perhaps we couldn't see the same performance in the national team as in the clubs at the end of the season?
I think we have to make a broader assessment within the Copa América. We saw the games so plastic, so technical, the great players of the Copa América also stood out in some way. It didn't happen at all, so you see, the end of the season is very complex, very difficult for everyone. We could change, have other players in the national team, the best are there, the best were called up. I think we are extremely meticulous in all aspects. It's natural that we had a list with 45-47 names, you suddenly discuss one or two names. I also discuss one or two, any other colleague in the same way, but the vast majority were there gathered. What I see is the collective work in general, and I believe there was a great evolution. It's very difficult to explain at this moment, evolution, not happening, victories, or phase advancements, but we who have lived this for years and years, we are aware, and I'm sure that our path is a path of emission. Everything is a matter of time, naturally, of training, work, games, etc., so that soon, ahead, we can have and live, who knows, another condition. I trust a lot, I believe a lot, and I'm sure we're on a great path.
I wanted to take this time here with you to talk about perhaps the thing that most resonated after the elimination against Uruguay, which was the issue there of the image of the moment of the circle when I asked you the question in the press conference. I already had an idea of the proportion that it was taking in Brazil, and my intention was to give you the opportunity to explain because the thing was taking on a proportion, the cutout of the image, that many people said that when you raised your hand, you were trying to speak, and that people disregarded what you were trying to say at that moment. It was an immense proportion, so there in a small space that we had, because in the end, I can't have the microphone to develop the subject with you, the intention was to hear you. And now I wanted to ask you calmly, when you looked at everything, the size of the proportion that it took, how did you feel? Did you feel disrespected in any way? Do you think that people made an interpretation of a cutout that had nothing to do with what was happening there at the moment?
First, Monique, I was an athlete for 18 years. I participated in many decisions of this type, naturally in clubs, and I never liked to hear anything from the moment the referee's whistle ended. I always concentrated a lot because I had trained for possible penalties, I had prepared myself, what I needed was an emotional recomposition for that moment at the end of a 90 or 120-minute match, so I always had that very much with me. I never participated in any circle because I think it's the moment of the athlete with the athlete. If I take a clipboard in my hand to demonstrate authority, to demonstrate security, I don't need it, then I don't have the capacity to be a coach. Everything had already been defined, the shooters at that moment, because you work with variations throughout the match, you never know who will finish the match. At the same time that it was already defined, I let the players feel at ease. This happened the other day at São Paulo Futebol Clube, the last club I was at, a decision precisely against Sport. I let the players feel at ease because it's their moment with them. The only word I said was concentration, worry about that. I saw, in general, the team was calm, there was no need to intervene. Why? Either an excessive tranquility or an excessive nervousness, the coach needs to intervene. I noticed, I spoke with another player before we closed, there was no problem at that moment. The fourth official calls me precisely to point out who would be the cut because they had had a player sent off, and we would need a cut at that moment. I didn't know the number of Arana's shirt, I told him it would be Guilherme Arana, I didn't know if it was number 16, 26, and when I returned the circle was naturally already formed, I just keep an eye on observing what is happening. I wanted to talk to Alisson, I was looking for Alisson around the circle, when they finished the motivation among themselves, Alisson came out, I went to talk to Alisson about a detail of the kicks. Nothing beyond that. I was very upset with everything that happened."