With the season over, Crespo reflects at São Paulo: “We achieved our goal” | OneFootball

Coach Hernán Crespo gave an overview of São Paulo’s year under his command after the 1-0 defeat to Vitória this Sunday at Barradão, a match that marked the end of the 2025 season.

Hired to replace Luis Zubeldía, the Argentine coach arrived at Morumbi with São Paulo sitting very close to the relegation zone. Months later, Crespo not only saved Tricolor from the risk of dropping to Série B but now also lives with the expectation of qualifying the team for the Libertadores Preliminaries.

“I can only speak about the six months we’ve been here. I think we achieved the goal, which was to finish in eighth place. Everyone knows that when we arrived, we were just one point away from the relegation zone. Finishing eighth, I think, is positive, but I’m not happy, because I believe São Paulo can do much more, there is a lot of room for improvement, but the goal was achieved,” said Crespo.

To confirm qualification for the preliminary phase of the Libertadores, São Paulo will have to hope that either Cruzeiro or Fluminense wins the Copa do Brasil. This way, an extra spot for the continental tournament would open up, rewarding the eighth place finisher of the Campeonato Brasileiro.

Crespo will be rooting for Cruzeiro or Fluminense from afar. Officially on vacation, the Argentine coach will travel to Italy, where he built much of his career as a football player, but will continue to follow São Paulo’s behind-the-scenes moves, since the club needs to strengthen for 2026.

“I’m going to Italy to see my daughters. The planning is already done, everyone knows what we intend, the characteristics, where we need to improve. We’ve already had many conversations with the board, we have to finish this season. The decisions have been made. At the end of the day, it’s always contracts and particular, personal situations. But, the idea we have is to be competitive and improve,” he concluded.

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