Coaching change at Santa Clara: Vasco Matos sacked; Petit appointed | OneFootball

Santa Clara’s 4-2 defeat at home to Estoril on Saturday led to the dismissal of coach Vasco Matos. While sacking the 45-year-old, the majority shareholder of the club Bruno Vicintin made a point of stating Matos was “the best coach in Santa Clara’s history.”

Matos was at the helm of the Azorean club for 108 matches, guiding them back to the top flight and then qualifying them for Europe in two sensational seasons.

Like many overachieving mid-level Portuguese clubs who make it to Europe, Santa Clara found it difficult to balance domestic football with international competition. The team played six Europa League qualifying matches, starting in July, narrowly failing to make it to the group stage of the UEFA tournament, but the demanding start to the campaign took its toll.

Santa Clara have failed to repeat their success of the previous two seasons, winning just 4 of their 20 Primeira Liga matches to date, and the board evidently felt a change in the dugout was needed to avoid relegation.

Petit “proud” to represent region

The islanders did not waste time in appointing the new man in the dugout at the Estádio de São Miguel, turning to experienced manager Petit.

“Coming to the Azores and Santa Clara is an enormously proud moment for me,” said the former Portugal international.

“I’m fully aware of the importance of representing this region and its diaspora and I take on this responsibility with huge enthusiasm. I’m ready to work hard and with total confidence that together we can achieve our goals.”

The 49-year-old Petit has previously coached Rio Ave, Boavista, Tondela, Moreirense, Paços de Ferreira, Marítimo and B-SAD in Portugal, and had a spell in Brazil at Cuiabá.