Now at Santos, Vojvoda faces Fortaleza as a rival for the first time ever | OneFootball

This Saturday, at 4 PM (Brasília time), at Vila Belmiro, Juan Pablo Vojvoda will reunite with Fortaleza for the first time since he left the club's management.

The Argentine coach, who made history with Leão do Pici, now leads Santos, which is fighting to move away from the relegation zone in the Brazilian Championship. Vojvoda managed Fortaleza for four years and was dismissed in July, shortly before taking over Peixe. In total, he led the team in 309 matches, with 144 wins, 77 draws, and 88 losses.

During this period, he won five titles – three Cearense Championships (2021, 2022, and 2023) and two Copa do Nordeste (2022 and 2024) -, in addition to taking the team to the final of the 2023 Copa Sudamericana, lost to LDU.

Now, the coach faces for the first time the club that launched him in Brazilian football, in a direct clash at the lower part of the table. Santos is in 16th place, with 32 points, one more than Vitória, the first team within the Z4.

Neymar remains out as he is still in physical transition, and the medical department prefers not to rush his return to avoid the risk of relapse. The defender Souza is also a confirmed absence, suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards. On the other hand, Vojvoda will have the return of Zé Rafael, who is back after suspension.

Fortaleza, on the other hand, is experiencing a delicate moment in the tournament. The team led by Palermo is in 18th place, with 27 points in 29 games, and seeks to recover after a negative streak. For the match, the Argentine coach will have the returns of defender Kuscevic, who served a suspension after being sent off against Vasco, and forward Lucero, who was out due to a third yellow card.

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