Bernard on limited time under Cuca, praises Sampaoli’s management

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·25. September 2025

Bernard on limited time under Cuca, praises Sampaoli’s management

Atlético has reached the semifinals of the South American Cup. On Wednesday night (24), in front of more than 34,000 fans at the MRV Arena, Galo beat Bolívar (BOL) 1 x 0 and secured the spot after drawing 2 to 2 at high altitude in La Paz, in the first leg. The hero of the qualification was Bernard, who scored in the second half stoppage time and had a night of redemption.

After the match, the midfielder gave an interview in the mixed zone and talked about his relationship with former coach Cuca, with whom he had little space. Bernard was honest in pointing out the lack of dialogue with the old commander.

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"I don't like to talk about the previous technical commission, I am very grateful to Cuca for everything we built together, the opportunities. At no time will I stop being grateful, but I had no communication with him, or freedom to talk to him about my situation or opportunities", he said.

Bernard highlighted that even when he was showing improvement in training, he did not receive support from the old commission.

"Just as many have told me today that I deserved opportunities for the improvement I was showing in training, that I deserved this goal, I was also doing things well with Cuca, but there was no communication or willingness from him to make this trust reborn and I could happen again", he added.

Different atmosphere with Sampaoli

If with Cuca the midfielder felt distance, with Jorge Sampaoli, the new alvinegro coach, the reality has been the opposite. Bernard praised the way the Argentine approached the squad in the first days of work.

With the arrival of Sampaoli it was completely different. Within a few days we already had individual meetings that showed what we have already done and are doing well. There are no children here, but we like to hear that we are doing things right or where we can improve. It's a 'feedback' that makes us feel important within these situations.

The midfielder also highlighted the importance of group management, especially in a calendar with many games like the Brazilian one. "It's not about patting on the head, but about managing the group. It's something that I think is very important, we live a lot here inside. In Europe there are fewer games and here there are many. That's why this group management needs to be so well done!", he concluded.

The next challenge

Qualified, Atlético now awaits the opponent of the South American semifinal. Meanwhile, it turns its attention to the Brazilian Championship. This Saturday (25) Galo hosts Mirassol, at the MRV Arena, at 9:00 pm, in a match valid for the 25th round of the competition.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.