‘It won’t happen again’

Underneath the post-elimination turmoil in the Campeonato Paulista, Santos managed to do well against Iguatu-CE, for the Copa do Brasil, and secured the classification for the next phase of the competition. Distrusted by the fans, Odair Hellmann leaves a message for the alvinegra fans for the rest of the season.

– Santos fan, you can be sure. We didn’t have the best championship in São Paulo, but in the end we improved. The match against Ituano is an exception, it will not be repeated again. It cannot be repeated anymore. But let’s view the context. Do we need to improve? We need. And let’s go – declared the coach.

Santos had several factors for not being able to play a better season, according to Hellmann. With several players in the medical department, little work time and pressure inherited from recent years, Odair commented on the challenges faced at Peixe.

– We started with an idea and, after the first game, it was over. I couldn’t repeat it anymore, I lost players. It’s been two months, and the requirement is as if I had been at Santos for a year and a half. I know Santos has to give a different answer, but it won’t happen overnight, in a month, two months. Especially if you are not able to repeat the training, the idea. Unable to test variation. We need to evolve without the ball, as a team. Three out of three days there is a game, no team repetition, loss of players. You do not work in the medium and long term, but for three days – reported Odair.

For the Copa do Brasil game, due to the disparity in investment between the squads and the criticized performance against Iguatu, there was an expectation for the duel. In view of this, the commander of Alvinegro Praiano spoke about the evolution process and the responsibility of this last match.

I don’t really like the word obligation. No one is obligated to anything, we have consequences. We had the responsibility of winning the match and qualifying. We are seeking this construction to consolidate as quickly as possible and oscillate less. Let’s raise the bar and increasingly give better answers – concluded Odair Hellmann.

SEE BELOW THE MAIN SUBJECTS OF THE ODAIR HELLMANN INTERVIEW

Duel against Iguatu

I’ll start by praising the opposing team, praising the coach, the coaching staff, the players. They came to try to play football, make the proposal they have, without aggression. They tried to play until the end. They are to be congratulated on the work they are doing. That’s what I told them. I congratulated everyone.

Coach’s analysis of Marcos Leonardo

He did well, scored goals, had more opportunities. He himself was upset because he had clear opportunities to do more.

The low vibration of the team on the field

No vibration (needs to improve). I think we have to work more on communication, it’s very important, especially with the athletes at the back. The game today is what we live in the pandemic. There’s no pressure from the fans, but there’s also no fan pushing you up when you need to. You need to maintain concentration and focus on the game to motivate yourself. I wanted music from the crowd, I spoke to the players, because you enter the stadium and it makes you sad. Football without fans is meaningless. We couldn’t put the music on. These games are very dangerous in that sense. It was important for the players to have that concentration. I took care of myself, there is a microphone by my side, a coach by my side, I had to lower the tone.