Marcelo Teixeira defends squad build and says Santos are seeking a return to prominence | OneFootball

Santos president Marcelo Teixeira has used social media to defend the club’s squad rebuild and said the team are pursuing a return to prominence.

According to Globo.com, on Friday he posted an organogram of the current squad that initially omitted midfielder Tomás Rincón, then reissued the graphic to include the Venezuelan.

Teixeira said the club are responsibly reinforcing the group while promoting academy players, describing it as a permanent process. He added the overhaul began in 2024 to contest the second division, continued in 2025 and is being strengthened for the current season, with fan backing seen as key to a gradual resurgence.

He later clarified that the intention was to show the squad after the international window closed, and acknowledged the error in omitting Rincón, whom he said he admires and respects for his career, including at the club.

Santos have concluded their first-half business, with six arrivals, Gabigol, Gabriel Menino, Rony, Moisés, Christian Oliva and Lucas Veríssimo, and 38 departures from December to the start of this month.

Director Alexandre Mattos arranged 18 loan exits and oversaw the termination of defender João Basso’s contract. Rincón remains in the squad for now, despite not being in the coaching staff’s plans.

Among the new signings, Christian Oliva and Lucas Veríssimo have yet to debut. Oliva is expected to be named in the squad for the first time against Mirassol on Tuesday, in the Campeonato Brasileiro. Veríssimo has no timeframe to report as he faces difficulties leaving Qatar, with the country’s airspace closed and no flights scheduled for his return to Brazil.

Source: Globo.com