Crespo hails São Paulo comeback, downplays controversy: "I spoke from the heart" | OneFootball

Coach Hernán Crespo praised São Paulo's comeback against Flamengo on Wednesday night. The Tricolor defeated their Rio de Janeiro rival 2-1 at Morumbis in the first round of the Brazilian Championship, ending a three-game winless streak.

For the match, Crespo once again changed São Paulo's defensive system, abandoning the four-man defense and opting for a three-man line with Arboleda, Alan Franco, and Sabino. The strategy was essential for securing the victory, and the coach highlighted the competitive spirit of the team.

“Everyone knows what's happening, we have the chance to talk about football. The opportunity to play with four at the back, with three. It's not definitive, but at a time against a rival like Flamengo, champions of America and everything, I think the team behaved really well. They fought, battled, played ball. In such a complicated moment, coming from behind, we managed to turn the game against a great team. It's not easy. It's a demonstration that the group is united, that it has character. We will make mistakes, like everyone else, but we will fight,” he stated.

“Will you let Flamengo play? If you let Carrascal, Plata… play. In the goal play, they had merit because they have class, hierarchy, they scored a goal that deserves applause. There is no magic formula for defense. We try to do our best within what we can. We have a rival that also plays. I think aggression, intensity, and conviction to play are essential for São Paulo,” he added.

Crespo comments on controversial statement

Crespo also commented on a statement that caused controversy during the week. In a press conference after the defeat to Palmeiras, the Argentine said that the Tricolor club would fight against relegation in the Brazilian Championship.

The statement caused discomfort behind the scenes at São Paulo. President Harry Massis thought the coach was “modest” and believes the team has the capacity to secure a direct spot in the Copa Libertadores. The same message was echoed by Rafinha, the new sports manager of the Tricolor.

“When we talk about São Paulo, we speak with our hearts. My idea is to protect the club, the group, to take care and try to keep our feet on the ground to build calmly, lowering expectations. But I am a winner like São Paulo. I have a winning DNA as a player and coach, and São Paulo has the same expectations. The idea is to build calmly to win titles. Maybe I made a communication error, but that was the idea,” he stated.

Why Lucas on the bench?

Finally, Crespo also explained the technical decisions for Wednesday's match. After being rested for the classic against Palmeiras, it was expected that Lucas Moura would start against Flamengo, which did not happen due to a technical decision.

“At this moment, Calleri and Luciano, based on the characteristics of the game, we had to play like this. I thought both could play like this. But Lucas will have opportunities, he will play,” Crespo concluded.

Standings situation

With the result, São Paulo ended a three-game winless streak — consisting of one draw and two losses. The Tricolor also debuted with a victory in the Brazilian Championship and earned the first three points, taking third place.

Upcoming São Paulo matches

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