It all started at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar at the press conference ahead of the quarter-final clash between Selecao and Croatia. Vinicius Junior was there to answer the media questions, but the leading actor at the beginning of the “Brazilian tragedy” was the team’s press chief, Vinicius Rodriguez. Namely, the cat named Hexa – as it was later found out – was resting at the desk before the two representatives of Brazil. However, Rodriguez then decided to pick the cat up and throw it down since it obviously bothered him.A cat joined Vinicius’ Brazil press conference today! 😂🐈pic.twitter.com/K3C8tTEvUi— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) December 7, 2022 Now, his act from two years ago bothers every football fan in the largest South American country. Rodriguez’s disrespecting the cat was interpreted as a curse that was cast on Brazilian football and as a reason for a series of recent failures. Truth be said, the senior national team couldn’t boast of fantastic results in this century (they won their last Copa America in 2019 and their last World Cup in 2002), but at least the youth categories were somewhat successful. Ever since the “cat incident,” things have gone south for Selecao.Croatia knocked Brazil out of the tournament on penalties only a few days after the infamous press conference. A year later, Brazil’s best player Neymar suffered a serious injury – a crucial ligament tear – from which he has not yet recovered. The same year, both Brazil’s U-20 and U-17 teams were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the World Cups. The older ones lost to Israel (?!) 3-2, while the younger ones were brushed off by Argentina 3-0.Ten-men Colombia withstood Bielsa’s warriors for the 23-year awaited finalFurthermore, Brazil U-23 has won a medal at the Olympics in the last four editions, snatching two gold medals (2016, 2020), one silver medal (2012), and one bronze medal (2008). Well, they didn’t even qualify for this year’s Olympics in Paris, which will be their first absence since 2004! Finally, the latest disappointing results was the elimination in the Copa America quarter-final after they lost to Uruguay on penalties.As intriguing as it is, the “cat curse” is very unlikely. Brazil’s problems have lasted for more than ten years, and the new generation of their players does not seem ready to cope with the expectations and responsibilities of the saint yellow jersey. In the meantime, other national teams like Argentina win major trophies, whereas Selecao can barely even reach the semi-final. That is a cue for a profound reorganization and analysis, not a sign of an animal curse.##NAJAVA_MECA_8208582##
