In the 2-0 win against Ecuador in the South American World Cup qualifying round "Eliminatorias", the Brazilian Seleção had only one message to convey: unity.

The team celebrated the goals of Richarlison (65th) and Neymar (94th) demonstratively together with national coach Tite.

Two years ago he celebrated his greatest success since taking office with the triumph at the Copa America in his own country.

Now the Copa América could become a milestone in Tites' career again, as there are increasing signs of a joint uprising by the national team and the coach against participation in South America, which was temporarily relocated to the virus variant area Brazil after the co-hosts of Argentina and Colombia canceled. Championship. Until the game on Wednesday night, German time, the Seleção wants to keep quiet. “We want to express our opinion after the game against Paraguay. Not just me, not just the players who play in Europe. It's everyone, including Trainer Tite. All together, ”said Real Madrid captain Casemiro after the Ecuador game.

He had previously stayed away from the mandatory press conference before the game so as not to have to comment.

If Brazil had won another victory in Asunción, Brazil would have achieved a maximum of 18 points from six games, Tite and team would have done their homework and would have been athletically unassailable.

It is now becoming more and more apparent that there is a deep rift between the players and coaches on the one hand and the Brazilian Football Association (CBF) on the other.

Above all, CBF President Rogerio Caboclo meets the anger of the players who, in view of the corona pandemic, consider such a tournament in Brazil to be the wrong signal at the moment.

Together with Brazil's right-wing populist President Jair Bolsonaro and the South American association CONMEBOL, he brought the Copa into the country at short notice.

CBF and CONMEBOL defend themselves against the accusation that the decision only serves to secure the television money for the broadcasting rights.

But there are currently no arguments that justify the tournament at the moment, as more than 60,000 new infections and almost 2,000 deaths are recorded in Brazil every day.

What would happen if the entire Seleção announced a Copa boycott after the Paraguay game and actually stayed away from the tournament, is a completely different story.

That would set a precedent.

Expressing political positions has a long tradition in Brazilian football. During the right-wing military dictatorship, the Corinthians from São Paulo around Socrates symbolically opposed the generals and enforced basic democratic principles in their own association. And on the sidelines of the Confed Cup 2013, the Seleção showed solidarity with the protests against the billions spent by the left-wing government at the time for the stadiums for the 2014 World Cup instead of for education and health care. "The national team belongs to the people, we are the people," said the then coach Scolari. That hasn't changed.