Crespo blames injuries, denies São Paulo fatigue: "I still believe" | OneFootball

Coach Hernán Crespo dismissed any notion of fatigue at the helm of São Paulo after the 3-0 defeat to Mirassol last Sunday night, during the 29th round of the Brazilian Championship. He also explained what he meant by a statement that drew attention in the press conference after the game against Grêmio, when he said that “unbelievable things” happen in the club's daily life.

After the press conference against Grêmio, Crespo's more reserved demeanor and statements led to speculation on social media by some fans, suggesting that the coach seemed tired of the difficult situations recently experienced at São Paulo. However, the Argentine raised his tone and dismissed this possibility after the game against Mirassol.

“Tired, no. I believe a lot in São Paulo. I believe a lot in the players, the management, the fans. If I didn’t believe, I wouldn’t have returned. It’s not that I’m tired. Unbelievable things happen. Do you know, for example, why Cédric isn’t playing? A foot fracture, with nothing, during training. Unbelievable things. I’m happy that Maik is back. Why did he return? He never played again after Sport. Do you know what happened? He had an injury here [points to the rib area], couldn’t breathe for weeks and weeks. We were patient, he returned to the under-20, got back in shape, and returned. These are the unbelievable things I talk about. Other than that, nothing surprises me in football. I knew the difficulties, the entire political, sports situation. I knew everything and accepted it,” stated the coach.

As mentioned by the coach, São Paulo suffers from many absences. Ten players are in the medical department and were not listed to face Mirassol. They are: Wendell, Cédric Soares, Oscar, Luan, Rafael Tolói, Leandro, Calleri, André Silva, Ryan Francisco, and Dinenno.

Besides the absences, the Tricolor is also going through a “delicate” moment in this final stretch of the season, as admitted by Crespo. The Tricolor has suffered seven defeats in the last eight matches across all competitions, being eliminated from the Libertadores and stalling in the Brasileirão standings.

For the match against Bahia, the coach lost another player. Defender Ferraresi received his third yellow card and will have to serve a suspension. Due to the high number of absences, Crespo and his staff have been racking their brains to line up São Paulo and find solutions to recover in the season.

The Argentine, however, once again showed confidence that the group can indeed secure a direct spot in the Libertadores via the Brazilian Championship. The coach recalled the team's surge upon his arrival at São Paulo and believes the squad can once again replicate the great performances they had on those occasions.

“Did I like the game against Grêmio? No, I didn’t. It’s not just about the result. The argument is that we have to improve. Yes. Can we do better? Yes. Do I still believe in the group? Yes. Do I still believe in São Paulo? Yes. Because we are the same ones who reached this point of having hope to go to the Libertadores. After Flamengo, they said the fight against relegation would be until the end of the championship. And now, we had an incredible sequence, playing incredible football, we became more relaxed. Expectations were high. And who raised these expectations? The same athletes, the same staff. Why shouldn’t I believe now? We will try our best to reach the Libertadores, which is everyone’s dream. Will we achieve it? I don’t know, but we will give our best,” concluded Crespo.

Standings Situation

With the result, the crisis at São Paulo persists in this final stretch of the season. The Tricolor suffered its third consecutive defeat and remains stuck in the eighth position of the Brasileirão, with 38 points, seeing the Libertadores spot slip further away.

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