Ex-Flamengo's Gabigol criticised by Santos boss after Sul-Americana tie

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·6 May 2026

Ex-Flamengo's Gabigol criticised by Santos boss after Sul-Americana tie

Gabigol was substituted in the second half and went straight to the locker room

Santos managed only a 1-1 draw against Recoleta (PAR) last Tuesday (05), away from home, in the Copa Sudamericana. Gabigol was substituted in the second half, did not stay on the bench, and was heavily questioned by coach Cuca.

“I’m going to ask him why he didn’t stay on the bench with his teammates; he must have some reason”, coach Cuca said when asked about Gabigol not remaining on the bench after being substituted.

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— In my opinion, the substitution was necessary. Now, we need to know why he (Gabigol) didn’t stay on the bench. I think he should have stayed, and he will be held accountable for that —, added the Santos manager in a press conference.

WHAT DID GABIGOL SAY?

“I also wanted to talk about my substitution. I went straight to the locker room because I was having abdominal pain, just like some players and members of the coaching staff. There was a lack of communication during the match and after the game”, the player said on social media.

WHAT IS THE CONTEXT OF THE SITUATION?

Gabigol started the match against Recoleta in Paraguay among Santos’ starting lineup. However, the former Flamengo player was substituted in the 30th minute of the second half, making way for Thaciano. However, the striker went straight to the locker room and did not stay on the bench.

During his 75 minutes on the field, Gabigol delivered a quiet performance. The former Flamengo player had three shots, even missing a great chance. In addition, he completed only 11 passes out of 15 attempts.

AND WHAT ABOUT FLAMENGO?

Meanwhile, Flamengo, Gabigol’s former club, remains focused on the next challenges of the season. The Rubro-Negro club faces Independiente Medellín (COL) this Thursday (07), at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time), away from home, in the Copa Libertadores.

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