After Brazil's defeat to Uruguay on penalties in the quarterfinals of the Copa America, Brazilian national team head coach Dorival Júnior was widely criticized for his actions prior to the penalty shootout. In response to these controversies, Dorival himself has provided a detailed defense and elaborated on his coaching philosophy and habits.
Dorival began by pointing out that his behavior of standing outside the circle of players during penalty shootouts is not an exception, but rather a consistent coaching habit of his. "In all the penalty shootouts I've been involved in, I've never been in that circle." He emphasized, "That moment belongs to the players, they need to be alone, to remember what they have done, to face the upcoming challenge calmly." Dorival believes that his role as a manager is to give support and trust to the players at crucial moments, rather than to interfere with their thinking and preparation.
Dorival expressed his displeasure at the criticism and controversy. "I think what they're doing is just ridiculous." He said, "No one asked me this question directly at any time ...... I didn't even know it was happening." Dorival believes that interpreting and criticizing his coaching practices based on just one photo is reckless and irresponsible. "Interpreting a photo without asking a professional's opinion is totally reckless." He emphasized.
Dorival further explained exactly what he did in the penalty shootout. "In the last minute of the game, we identify the penalty taker." He said, "Normally, I would have stood far away unless I sensed something different, difficult, problematic or unexpected. But this time it wasn't like that, everything was clear." Dorival said he believes his players are up to such challenges and all he has done is to give them enough space and trust.
Finally, Dorival also expressed his confidence and expectations for the coming matches. "We will learn from this defeat and continue to work hard to prepare for the upcoming matches." He said, "I believe that my players are capable of achieving better results in the coming matches." Despite the loss in the penalty shootout that kept Brazil out of the quarterfinals, Dorival remains confident and expectant of his team.
