With Brazão a doubt, Santos’ backup on standby: “I’m ready” | OneFootball

Recently promoted to second goalkeeper for Santos, Diógenes had a night of contrasts last Sunday. He saw the starting goalkeeper, Brazão, leave the field after a head collision and had to take over the position while Santos was losing 1-0 to Atlético-MG with one player less. Highly requested, he made important saves and helped the team to pull off a 1-1 draw.

With Brazão under observation and subjected to CBF's concussion protocol - which requires a minimum of five days off before a new clinical evaluation -, Diógenes is already making himself available to take over the goal in the classic against São Paulo, next Sunday, at 8:30 pm (Brasília time), at Vila Belmiro.

"Without a doubt, it was a great Sunday for me. I was very worried about Brazão, because it was a very strong play. But, thank God, everything was fine with him. Right after I entered the game we interacted there on the field and I saw that he was fine, that it was just a shock. But I had been preparing for a long time, well before even the game against Ituano last year, when I made my debut as a professional. After João Paulo's departure, I prepared even more to establish myself as the second goalkeeper of the squad. And I had the opportunity on Sunday, unfortunately, the way it was. But, as you saw, I was able to handle it," he said.

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Formed in the youth categories of Taboão da Serra, in São Paulo, Diógenes went through Internacional and Avaí before arriving at Santos in 2020 to reinforce the under-20 category. He was promoted to the main squad in 2021 and gained experience as a starter in the 2022 São Paulo Junior Football Cup, when Santos finished as runner-up.

"I know that Gabriel is our goalkeeper and I really hope that he gets better and better to be able to help us on Sunday. I was glad that he is fine and, if everything goes well, that we can count on him against São Paulo. He is following the protocol and you can see that he is fine. But if he can't play, I am prepared. We prepare a lot to be available when the opportunity appears, especially in a classic," he continued.

"The classic itself is a very atypical game, right!? We respect São Paulo a lot, but we are also on a very good upward trend, despite the two draws, so I believe we will have a great game and it will be a good classic for us," he added.

Until last year, his experience on the field as a professional had been limited to a single match, in the 2024 B Series, against Ituano, when Brazão was suspended and João Paulo was recovering from an injury. This season, he permanently inherited the second goalkeeper spot after João Paulo was loaned to Bahia. In August, he renewed his contract until the end of 2026.

Santos arrives at the classic under pressure in the table: with 23 points, the team occupies the 16th position in the Brazilian Championship, just one above Vitória (22), which opens the relegation zone.

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