São Paulo suffer worst Brasileirão run since Crespo’s first spell | OneFootball

São Paulo bid farewell to the Brazilian Championship this Sunday, with a defeat to Vitória, 1-0, at Barradão, marking their worst campaign in the competition since the season that saw Hernán Crespo's first stint as the club's coach.

In 2021, Crespo started the year on the right foot, becoming the São Paulo state champion and ending the club's more than eight-year title drought.

The price for prioritizing the State Championship soon became apparent. Having to deal with many physical problems, the Argentine coach was unable to maintain the competitive level shown in the first months of the season and ended up being dismissed in October.

At the time Crespo ended his first stint at the club, São Paulo had 30 points in 25 games in the Brazilian Championship, occupying the 13th position.

President Julio Casares chose Rogério Ceni to replace him, and under the command of the tricolor idol, São Paulo finished the 2021 Brasileirão exactly in 13th place, with 48 points.

In the current season, the Tricolor finished their campaign in the Brazilian Championship in eighth place, with 51 points. Crespo seems to have learned from his first stint at São Paulo, but couldn't shake off the old injury ghost.

São Paulo had to deal with 71 physical problems throughout the year. In some games, Crespo had to include players from the under-20 team and field players out of position, like the forward Ferreirinha on the left wing.

Despite all the difficulties, Crespo's São Paulo can still qualify for the Pre-Libertadores. For this to happen, Cruzeiro or Fluminense must win the Copa do Brasil, which would open an extra spot for the continental tournament, rewarding the eighth place in the Brazilian Championship.

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