Tite cites Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds United example in handling of Brazil's rising stars after Raphinha emergence

Brazil boss Tite cited Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds United example in how he is handling the selection headache of the Selecao's young rising stars.
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The 60-year-old's outfit made it 28 games unbeaten overall in World Cup qualifying in the early hours of Friday morning with a 1-0 victory over Colombia.

Brazil moved onto 34 points from 12 games in their bid to reach Qatar which was enough to secure a spot at the 2022 edition of the quadrennial tournament next November.

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Whites winger Raphinha was selected to start the game and earned his fourth cap for his country alongside Paris Saint-Germain's Neymar and Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus in a front three.

The 24-year-old completed 64 minutes of a physical and tightly-contested encounter at the Neo Química Arena in Sao Paulo before Lucas Paquetá bagged the winner 18 minutes from time.

Tite now has a wealth of attacking options at his disposal with the emergence of a new generation of Brazilian attackers.

Raphinha's first call last month saw him join the likes of Ajax's Antony, Real Madrid's Vinivius Junior, Atletico Madrid's Mateheus Cunha as emerging talent on the international stage among the likes of established Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino, Neymar, Jesus and Everton's Richarlison.

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The Selecao head coach was quizzed over how he planned to deal with the selection headaches that could be coming his way over the next year.

"I'm sixty years old, [I have] forty years in football, from 16 years of age as an athlete to 27, and now I am a coach, I have experience, which shows me some things," Tite told Super Rádio Brasil post-match.

"We have to build athletes up. It serves Raphinha, Antony, Cunha, Vini and all of the young players. I think it was [Marcelo] Bielsa who said that launching an athlete is easy, launching when he is ready is the big challenge.

"It is not mine, but our challenge [as a team]. Emerson, Veríssimo, Lodi, Arana, Gerson, Guimarães... it's the challenge we seek, it's our work."

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Brazil are now gearing up for a meeting with rivals Argentina on Tuesday night having already secured a World Cup berth. Tite, though, says the five-time world champions won't be taking it easy as they bid to reach excellence.

Brazil head coach Tite giving instructions to his side. Pic: GettyBrazil head coach Tite giving instructions to his side. Pic: Getty
Brazil head coach Tite giving instructions to his side. Pic: Getty

“Solidity, having creation, having a goal and winning,” he told reporters over what comes next after earning a spot in Qatar. “That is excellence. Creation and scoring, defensive solidity and triumphs. That is what moves us [to be better]. We have to get as close to that as possible."

On World Cup qualification, he added: “My greatest joy is sharing the joy. It is priceless when I look at the technical commission, at the people who work in the selection day by day. It is the way, the dignity with which we do our work.”