After the final of the Olympic Games in Paris, where the Brazilian National Team was defeated by the United States 1-0 on Saturday (10), the team’s coach, Arthur Elias, reiterated his pride in the Amarelinha’s campaign and the group of players.
“I am very proud because the players of the National Team understand, identify with, and know that from now on we will keep the team at this level. One day (a title) will happen; it may happen in the World Cup, or it could be in the next Olympics as well. I am sure it will happen because they deserve it,” he emphasized.
“There was no lack of commitment or dedication from the Brazilian National Team. This is a new Brazilian National Team. (There were) 14 players who had never participated in an Olympics, a very young group that lost more experienced players due to injuries. We faced many problems along the way, but we knew how to find solutions. The Brazilian people have regained pride in our Women’s National Team,” he added.
In the technical meetings of the Brazilian Women’s National Team in Paris, just before the Olympic title decision against the United States, Arthur Elias stood in front of a large screen and, didactically, made a series of observations about plays that should be executed or avoided in the final match for the silver medal. Always guided by technical analyses compiled by his assistants, he displayed his way of interacting with the athletes. His measured speech conveyed his convictions, which were well received.
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A discreet leader, averse to fanfare, Arthur Elias, who turned 43 just days ago in France, has earned his place among the Olympic medalist coaches. From a team that many considered discredited due to setbacks in the first phase, he built the path to silver step by step. There was suffering, demands, sweat, many sleepless hours, and joys.
As a strategist, detail-oriented, and extremely observant, he achieved cohesion with his coaching staff to develop game plans that would be used in the Olympics based on extensive material collected from videos and meticulously edited by his team. He studied all 11 other teams in the tournament. He didn’t want to be caught off guard. However, he dedicated more time to analyzing the three group stage opponents – Nigeria, Japan, and Spain – as well as the traditional teams of Germany, Canada, and the United States.
While gathering material for the Olympics since September of last year, when he was hired by the CBF, Arthur experimented with various athletes. He wanted to test them, see them in action to decide on the best for the call-up. He also wanted to mislead rivals. This was partly why, in the two friendly matches against Jamaica in June, he fielded two completely different teams. He knew that videos of those matches would reach the other teams.
Arthur bet on this, on the misinformation of other teams about the Amarelinha. Additionally, as he does not work with the concept of defined starters, he made it even harder for others by changing the lineup from game to game during the Olympics. And it wasn’t just one or two changes; there were six, sometimes seven per match.
Arthur Elias was born in São Paulo and began his journey in women’s football in 2006 when he was 24 years old and developed a project at the University of São Paulo (USP) that addressed the characteristics of women in football. In 2009, he accepted an invitation to lead his first team, Nacional-AC. Later, he joined Centro Olímpico, where his career flourished, notably with the Brazilian championship win in 2013.
Three years later, he took over Audax/Corinthians and won the Copa do Brasil in his first season, which led the team to the Libertadores. The title of the continental competition followed in 2017, with a penalty shootout victory over Colo Colo from Chile. The end of the partnership between Corinthians and Audax did not change Arthur’s trajectory much, as he continued to coach Corinthians.
From 2018 to 2023, he amassed a slew of titles, establishing himself as the best Brazilian coach in women’s football. His trophy collection during this period includes three more Libertadores, five Brasileiros, three State Championships, and two Supercopa do Brasil titles, among others. And with 11 months with the National Team, he has now added the silver medal from the Paris Games to this impressive gallery.
