Cuca urges Santos to lift transfer ban after 2-0 Athletico-PR defeat | OneFootball

Cuca has urged Santos to lift their transfer ban, admitting he fears relegation and does not believe the current squad can avoid it.

According to Diario Do Peixe, after a 2-0 defeat to Athletico-PR, which left Santos back in the bottom four, he shifted his stance and called on the club to end the restriction that blocks signings.

He said the club must unite and that breaking the ban to add two or three players would strengthen the group. He framed the appeal as a heartfelt outburst and apologised in case he should not have said it.

Before the World Cup pause he had highlighted the need to balance the squad with reinforcements. However, before the window opened in July, Santos were hit with a transfer ban over about R$ 12 million owed to Monaco for the purchase of midfielder Jean Lucas.

In interviews after the World Cup he accepted the financial reality, prioritising overdue payments to the squad and looking internally, from the academy to reviving out-of-form players. He now says relying on five or six youngsters in this moment is not ideal.

Source: Diario Do Peixe

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”