See the players who let Santos down in 2025 | OneFootball

The season for Santos was filled with emotion, but ended with the team remaining in the Série A of the Brazilian Championship. As usual, some players in the squad shone and were decisive, while others fell short and lost their place due to a drop in performance. Given this scenario, Gazeta Esportiva has selected three Peixe players who disappointed this season, regardless of whether they are currently in the squad or not.

Tiquinho Soares

Tiquinho Soares had a season well below expectations and was not the same player at Santos who shone at Botafogo in 2023 and showed flashes in 2024. The center forward was signed in January this year and even had a good Campeonato Paulista, with five goals and one assist, but suffered a sharp drop in form. He started the Brazilian Championship as a starter, but gradually lost his place as he faced difficulties throughout the tournament.

The center forward position, therefore, was the one that caused the most headaches for Santos this season. The number 9 did not deliver and Peixe had to look for alternatives, such as signing Lautaro Díaz. Coach Cléber Xavier gave the Brazilian chances and tried to persist with the striker, but was unsuccessful. Under Vojvoda, Tiquinho became a full-time substitute and only played in two of the last three games of the year.

Tiquinho, in fact, is experiencing a long goal drought and has not found the net since September 14, when he scored a penalty against Atlético-MG. In open play, his last goal was in March. The trend is that the center forward will leave Santos at the end of this season. Santos is already looking for interested parties, and the player is open to a return to Botafogo.

See Tiquinho Soares' stats for the season:

(Photo: Raul Baretta/ Santos FC)

Diego Pituca

Diego Pituca was another player who, despite leaving Santos in the middle of the year, was one of the team's biggest disappointments in 2025. The Peixe midfielder started the season as a starter under coach Pedro Caixinha, but lost his place still during the Paulistão, when João Schmidt and Gabriel Bontempo moved ahead in the pecking order.

As he had been an important figure at Santos in recent years, the Santos fans expected more from Pituca, who was unable to live up to expectations. Even with the arrival of Cléber Xavier, the player continued to oscillate between the bench and the starting lineup, but failed to deliver in terms of performance. Unsurprisingly, he terminated his contract with the Baixada Santista team in August and returned to Japanese football.

Wearing the Santos shirt between January and August, Pituca recorded one goal and one assist in 23 matches.

See Pituca's stats for Santos in 2025:

(Photo: Raul Baretta/ Santos FC)

Thaciano

Thaciano was another investment by Santos that did not pay off this season. The attacking midfielder was signed from Bahia at the start of 2025, but also failed to take off. He began the year getting opportunities and alternated between the starting lineup and the bench. At one point, he was even booed by the fans. Without standout performances to justify his playing time, he ended up being sidelined with the arrival of Cléber Xavier.

The scenario continued under Vojvoda. But despite the fans' skepticism, the Argentine coach gave the midfielder more chances at opportune moments. Against Palmeiras and Flamengo, for example, Thaciano managed to respond after a period of few opportunities. Unsurprisingly, he earned a starting spot against Internacional and performed well again.

Despite the complicated scenario, Thaciano ended the season with credit at Vila Belmiro after scoring two goals in the win over Cruzeiro, which sealed Peixe's stay in the top flight of the Brasileirão. Now, the hope is that 2026 can be a better year for the 30-year-old player. He finished the year with five goals in 31 games (10 as a starter).

See Thaciano's stats for the season:

(Photo: Léo Piva/ Santos FC)

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