At the dawn of the round of 16 against South Korea, Tite expressed Sunday his "affection" to Pelé, hospitalized since Tuesday in Sao Paulo because of a respiratory infection.
He also recounted his meeting in 2018 with the triple world champion, confiding that he had been impressed to the point of "shaking".
"The affection that I can give you is transmitted by all of us," said the Brazilian coach at a press conference this Sunday for his eldest, before continuing.
“I speak from the heart, with emotion.
We were seated during the draw (for the 2018 World Cup).
I was focused and they said to me: “Go and hug Pelé”.
I stood up and shivered.
My hand was sweaty, my pulse increased.
Pelé (82) was admitted to Albert-Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo on Tuesday for a reassessment of his colon cancer treatment and was treated for a respiratory infection.
His condition is "stable", his doctors announced on Saturday, and "O Rei" said on his Instagram account that he feels "strong and hopeful".
His deputy, César Sampaio, also had a word for his compatriot: "I sometimes received advice from Pelé," said the former defensive midfielder.
“During my first call-up to the national team, I had the opportunity to play with Pelé.
I trembled even more than Tite!
It was even difficult to talk to him on the pitch... He is a person who influenced me as a player but also as a man.
“, he said with a smile.