Santos ultras protest at derby, slam Teixeira in open letter | OneFootball

This Wednesday, Torcida Jovem, the main organized supporters group of Santos, protested in various ways against Marcelo Teixeira's management. The group watched the first half of the classic match against São Paulo at Vila Belmiro, during the second round of the Brazilian Championship, sitting in silence.

During the break, they unfurled banners and sang against the president and Alexandre Mattos, the club's football executive. In the second half, they resumed supporting the team as usual. After the 1-1 draw, the protests resumed.

"Now our war is with Marcelo Teixeira," they shouted.

Torcida Jovem sitting in silence at Vila Belmiro (Photo: Rodrigo Matuck/Gazeta Press)

Outside the stands, TJ published a lengthy text criticizing various actions of Marcelo Teixeira. In the letter, the supporters demanded "responsibility and seriousness."

"You arrived with 5 pillars but delivered 5 fallacies. You promised us a winning football team, and indeed you won, as the worst champion in the history of Serie B, besides making a shameful role and exalting a runner-up for our rival as a title. And don't come with 'we put Santos back in the spotlight on the national and world stage,' we qualified for the South American while fighting relegation as our rivals faltered saving themselves for finals," they wrote.

"In the women's team, another pillar of your campaign, you rehired a guy accused of harassment and gave us another relegation, in a modality where we were pioneers precisely under your management. The youth development you promised so much has become cheap currency, a gem and some change for Tiquinho earning 1.5M? Or selling promises to a country at war before they have opportunities in the professional team? Seems reasonable…," they expanded.

"You promised us a stronger brand, and indeed, that was somewhat delivered with Neymar's arrival. But at the same time, you had the audacity to look us in the eye and say you were working to buy the Pelé brand, then we simply saw it in the hands of a businessman (who has ties to the club, but is not the club). Did you lie or were you deceived?" they completed.

Torcida Jovem also recalled the promises of building a new stadium and a training center in São Paulo's capital. Both projects have yet to materialize.

"Lastly, but not least deceitful, the pillar of the Arena and the CT. Not to mention the questionable strategic decisions that were made, and another lie told to our face about a CT in the capital, with each crisis, the agendas gain a new chapter, but never a conclusion," they pointed out.

Response

The protest comes days after Marcelo Teixeira posted a text defending himself on social media. In the post, the president denies the existence of a crisis at Santos.

"It's good to make it clear, creating crises is solely and exclusively the capability of your management, don't transfer this responsibility to people who aren't even part of the work. Deliver posture and results, and you will see the crises disappear along with those who 'are bothered by the progress,' as you say," cited TJ.

"You post about long-term planning, strategic projects, and sustainability on social media, but you show disinterest in creating a real communication channel with the fans, elucidating the numbers before they are questioned in the press conference, thus avoiding outbursts with a journalist seeking information, for example," they completed.

Signings

The organized supporters of Peixe also listed a series of players signed during Marcelo Teixeira's management who did not meet expectations — or are still trying to establish themselves at the club.

"You, president, always have a justification for your absurd signings, but please, clarify to the nation how the following signings are part of a solid and responsible strategy.

  See this photo on Instagram   A post shared by ⭐TORCIDA JOVEM DO SANTOS⭐ (@torcidajovem_oficial)

Distancing

Torcida Jovem also demanded a stronger stance from the board to help the organized groups. The note recalls the death of Alex Nunes do Carmo, who was run over by a Military Police Shock Battalion vehicle in front of one of the gates of Neo Química Arena on January 26.

"The last straw was in Peixe's last commitment in the capital, where a Santos fan was killed in a standard procedure (yes, standard, they keep throwing vehicles, armored cars, and horses at us). As much as Santos wants to sweep it under the rug, without even a note of condolence or a mere hashtag asking for justice, the Santos fan has a name, surname, and a lot of history," wrote the group.

"Alex Nunes do Carmo, for those who lived Vila, the Acarajé. Another 'Zé Brasileiro' who lived fighting against everything bad the system had to offer, like chemical dependency, an accident at a poorly paid job, and psychological problems. The club did not lift a finger," they added.

"We talked about the field, business, and ended up talking about the death of a fan at Peixe's game. In all situations, in common, there is neglect and a lack of understanding of what it is to be part of the Santos people," they concluded.

Responsibility and seriousness

Finally, the organized group emphasized that they are not asking for Teixeira to step down as president, but they are demanding actions.

"We won't be naive to ask for your resignation, the Doctor's ego wouldn't allow it. Besides, we know that whoever comes next is the same or worse. What worries us the most is knowing that you are not an inexperienced manager, but you act like one, as you and your commanders do not make decisions listening to your fans. We demand that you behave with the responsibility and seriousness that is pertinent to the position you hold and that you defend exclusively the interests of the club with the most history on the planet and its people.

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Read the full text from Torcida Jovem

We have been alongside the club in all its phases for 56 years, we knew these would be difficult years when we opened the doors for candidates to present their collective direction projects, we decided to endorse your campaign in this process of rebuilding Santos Futebol Clube. You arrived with 5 pillars but delivered 5 fallacies.

You promised us a winning football team, and indeed you won, as the worst champion in the history of Serie B, besides making a shameful role and exalting a runner-up for our rival as a title. And don't come with "we put Santos back in the spotlight on the national and world stage," we qualified for the South American while fighting relegation as our rivals faltered saving themselves for finals.

In the women's team, another pillar of your campaign, you rehired a guy accused of harassment and gave us another relegation, in a modality where we were pioneers precisely under your management.

The youth development you promised so much has become cheap currency, a gem and some change for Tiquinho earning 1.5M? Or selling promises to a country at war before they have opportunities in the professional team? Seems reasonable…

You promised us a stronger brand, and indeed, that was somewhat delivered with Neymar's arrival. But at the same time, you had the audacity to look us in the eye and say you were working to buy the Pelé brand, then we simply saw it in the hands of a businessman (who has ties to the club, but is not the club). Did you lie or were you deceived?

Lastly, but not least deceitful, the pillar of the Arena and the CT. Not to mention the questionable strategic decisions that were made, and another lie told to our face about a CT in the capital, with each crisis, the agendas gain a new chapter, but never a conclusion.

Not forgetting the SAF, which was not a campaign agenda, but likes to use it to please those desperate for an owner who is not you. But in that, it's okay, you don't need to strive with that, after all, almost 80% of SAFs end up in the hands of the same groups that commanded the association before the transition. And we know that if this goes forward, you will find your way to tie the donkey in the shade.

And it's good to make it clear, creating crises is solely and exclusively the capability of your management, don't transfer this responsibility to people who aren't even part of the work. Deliver posture and results, and you will see the crises disappear along with those who "are bothered by the progress," as you say.

You, president, always have a justification for your absurd signings, but please, clarify to the nation how the following signings are part of a solid and responsible strategy.

Yusupha: no matter the value, what was the criterion for bringing a guy like this? Renan, what was the criterion for bringing the reserve goalkeeper from Sport? Thaciano: besides doing his duty in the last round, explain the 32 million and salary of 1M? Veron: athlete signed overweight. Caballero: 9 million for a forward who scored 20 goals in 4 years in the powerful Paraguayan championship. Mayke: 1 million salary for a full-back who wasn't even playing (and we already had Chermont and Igor Vinicius), and came to Santos to earn triple. Adonís: 22 million for a reserve in the Mexican league. Alexis: 21 million for a reserve in Russia. Bahimi: 27 games and 2 goals, in the powerful Belgian championship, before coming to play 20 minutes and leave.

Last year, R$ 130 million was spent on players who have no caliber to wear our jersey. Knowing how we ended the year, does it seem like responsible planning to you?

You post about long-term planning, strategic projects, and sustainability on social media, but you show disinterest in creating a real communication channel with the fans, elucidating the numbers before they are questioned in the press conference, thus avoiding outbursts with a journalist seeking information, for example.

At this moment, Torcida Jovem do Santos manifests in the stands of Vila Belmiro, occupying our place in the stands of Vila Belmiro, a space that the Santos fan has conquered since 1916, to practically express our dissatisfaction with Marcelo Teixeira's management.

Torcida Jovem does a direct contact work with the Presidency of Santos FC that spans generations within the supporters and within the club, having this contact happened with different presidents of the club and the supporters, at different moments in history. There was never a lack of attempt to maintain direct contact with the club and care for the already troubled Santos image in the press, especially in recent years.

Many times, we made our demands and requirements in the day-to-day, face to face, without making it another media case in the Santos routine, but saying everything that should be said, entering numerous battles behind closed doors.

But Marcelo, we realize that, for you, your image is worth more than anything. We know that this part of the note will be one of those you won't like, you'll complain that it wasn't necessary, etc., but honestly: that's what you convey to the fan.

It's not the first time talking about this weighs on you. Last time, you seemed to have learned and stopped using your social media as if you owned the club. But it seems you didn't quite understand that you being the president, after all, it seemed appropriate to post a carousel with images of yourself, data that everyone already knows, in a smokescreen.

Since Peres' management, with a president who didn't give us room for dialogue, we caught him locked in the office bathroom and made ourselves heard. In the following management, with a guy who listened to us but did everything the opposite, when we removed him, we only had to support. So we did, we kept our word and were still rewarded with the death of a piece of our history.

We have already said this personally, and even in another note, but we highlight again: the lack of connection with reality of yours and wanting to implement your narrative of "I'm rebuilding," throwing a smokescreen over the fan, saying everything is fine. Nothing has been fine for a long time!

It's no use saying you came from the stands and at the same time bowing your head to the commands and orders of businessmen. We talk from a dry hotdog and a glass of water at R$8, through an invented "tunnel" that makes it impossible to go to the bathroom, and even when it leaves a flea behind every fan's ear with bizarre negotiations like those mentioned above and many others.

It's no use saying you came from the stands and at the same time putting your tail between your legs for the police to do what they want with the Santos fan. Police violence, of course, cannot go unnoticed here.

It was seen where we were going when you used your authority to show videos on the big screen exalting one of the deadliest operations in the history of Baixada Santista, which proved to have killed an innocent Santos fan. Today, when we try to make our home a differential factor for our team again, correcting the mistake the club made of distancing the people from the stadium, we are expelled without giving reason, under beatings. In this, the board ended up taking a beating. Now ask if he filmed and went back to sticking with the people or if nothing was ever done again?

It was recurrent the number of times the Military Police, with the approval of Santos FC, starred in conflicts with the Santos fans, causing physical injuries to the fans and completely disproportionate punishments to the Peixe supporters' movements. Today, TJ is out of the stadiums until 2027, even with the president of the club's deliberative council being one of the most influential delegates in the state, so far there has been no legal support from Santos to bring back the atmosphere of the Alçapão.

Both in this punishment, imposed due to a confusion that spread due to police violence in the last round of 2025, and in the punishment after the game at Morumbi, where Santos was negligent in security, denying our and police recommendations, too lazy to organize ticket sales.

The last straw was in Peixe's last commitment in the capital, where a Santos fan was killed in a standard procedure (yes, standard, they keep throwing vehicles, armored cars, and horses at us). As much as Santos wants to sweep it under the rug, without even a note of condolence or a mere hashtag asking for justice, the Santos fan has a name, surname, and a lot of history.

Alex Nunes do Carmo, for those who lived Vila, the Acarajé. Another "Zé Brasileiro" who lived fighting against everything bad the system had to offer, like chemical dependency, an accident at a poorly paid job, and psychological problems. Found in VB and Santos his home, always in a guard position, in his mind, protecting our home and our youth athletes. In return, he was run over by a nearly 20-ton war machine, 50 meters from a gate of a stadium where Santos was the host, in a game without any rivalry.

The club did not lift a finger. It could be any of the 30,000 Santos fans who paid dearly to see that game, or it could be you reading, the next time you go to the stadium. The certainty is that it will never be the law student son of a suit-wearer who makes the decisions.

We talked about the field, business, and ended up talking about the death of a fan at Peixe's game. In all situations, in common, there is neglect and a lack of understanding of what it is to be part of the Santos people.

We won't be naive to ask for your resignation, the Doctor's ego wouldn't allow it. Besides, we know that whoever comes next is the same or worse. What worries us the most is knowing that you are not an inexperienced manager, but you act like one, as you and your commanders do not make decisions listening to your fans. We demand that you behave with the responsibility and seriousness that is pertinent to the position you hold and that you defend exclusively the interests of the club with the most history on the planet and its people.

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