Gil opens up about feeling betrayed at Santos: "Worst weeks of my career" | OneFootball

Recently retired, Gil revealed the behind-the-scenes of his last weeks as a player for Santos. The former defender feels he was betrayed at the club, especially by Cleber Xavier's coaching staff.

“My last two weeks at Santos were the worst of my career. I went three months without playing, then played two games in a row, and when I thought I was going to play against Vasco, having trained well all week, I didn’t play. That really discouraged me. I felt it was (a betrayal), especially from the coaching staff,” he said to TV Record.

Gil's contract termination with Santos was recorded on September 3rd. He joined the team at the beginning of 2024 and was a key player throughout the Série B of the Brazilian Championship. This year, however, he barely played.

In total, he made 66 appearances for the black-and-white team and scored one goal.

A Turbulent Year

Gil considered retiring at the end of 2024. The idea of hanging up his boots at the end of the Série B was discussed throughout last year. However, the 37-year-old athlete ended the season on a high note and happy with the title. Amidst this scenario, he agreed to a contract renewal until the end of 2025.

The change in the Santos coaching staff, however, altered Gil's situation at Santos. The number 4 was left out of the plans of coach Pedro Caixinha, who believed the defender did not fit his style of play. He wasn’t even listed for the first four games of the coastal team in 2025.

At the beginning of the Paulista Championship, however, Santos struggled significantly in the defensive sector. Thus, Caixinha, pressured by the fans, decided to give Gil a chance, who played his first match of the year in the seventh round of the State Championship. Subsequently, the experienced defender delivered good performances and secured his place in the starting lineup.

Thus, Gil managed to complete a sequence of 12 games as a starter for Santos. However, with the arrival of Cléber Xavier, Gil once again lost his spot and played only two matches over a span of three months.

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