Well, that’s enough time off. Tite and co. have returned to work after winning the Copa América, which means it’s time for me to speculate recklessly about what the next steps are for the Seleção.

I already recapped the highs and lows of the campaign in my last article, and the question now is, where do we go from here? Before the tournament, there rumors that Tite was unhappy that several of his key staff were leaving to pursue opportunities in Europe, and that this might lead to his resignation. But Tite approved of the new faces the CBF brought in to replace his departing staff, particularly Juninho Paulista as the new coordinator of national teams, and combined with Brazil’s victory in the Copa itself, it appears to have been enough to convince him to stay on.

Nonetheless, it feels like turning over a new leaf. The Copa was likely the last hurrah for the bloc of older players who formed the core of the 2018 World Cup team, and Tite will have to familiarize himself with new faces both on the roster and within his own staff in order to prepare Brazil for the 2022 World Cup.

So, what sort of questions are on Tite’s to-do list in the months and years ahead? Well…

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