Belmonte shrugs off absences, backs São Paulo in big games | OneFootball

São Paulo's football director, Carlos Belmonte, spoke briefly about this Thursday’s (20th) derby against Corinthians, away from home, for the Brasileirão, and dismissed any kind of lamentation over the 12 absences the Tricolor will have for the match in Itaquera.

“The team is motivated as it always is. If there’s one thing you can’t question about this São Paulo squad, it’s their motivation. The team fights, we have absences, the team comes prepared, it’s focused. I think in these situations there’s no point in complaining about missing players,” said the director to CazeTV.

“We have to trust those who will step in, trust those who will play. We have very committed players, and I expect the team to put in a good performance,” Belmonte continued.

São Paulo has only one victory in its history against Corinthians at their rival’s arena, but the director recalled that the team has performed well in big matches.

“It’s tough to play here, obviously, but São Paulo fans can be optimistic because São Paulo plays well in all the big games. They play against Palmeiras, Flamengo, Corinthians, only big matches. São Paulo is always prepared, has played great games, and has beaten these opponents several times.”

“So we’re confident, the team is prepared, we’re going for a good game knowing that Corinthians is a strong team, especially playing at home,” Belmonte concluded.

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