Cuca speaks for the first time after returning to Santos: "Really excited" | OneFootball

Cuca gave his first message as the coach of Santos. The coach, who will replace the Argentine Juan Pablo Vojvoda, dismissed in the early hours of this Thursday, said he is excited about returning to Peixe and wants to restore the essence of the black-and-white players.

“Hello, everyone. As you already know, I'm back at Santos. I'm very excited, hopeful, and aware of the responsibility I have in this difficult moment the club is going through. Confident in doing a good job and bringing out the best in each player's essence. Asking for help from the fans, which is crucial. May we have a good year in the South American, Copa do Brasil, and especially in the Brazilian Championship,” said Cuca in a video posted on Santos' social media.

Cuca signed a contract with Peixe until the end of this year. This will be the coach's fourth stint at the helm of Alvinegro Praiano. He arrives accompanied by assistant Cuquinha and physical trainer Omar Feitosa.

Alexi Stival's last job was under the command of Atlético-MG. The 62-year-old coach left Galo in August last year and has been free in the market since then.

At Santos, Cuca has 26 wins, 23 draws, and 24 losses in 73 matches. He led the team to the runner-up campaign in the Libertadores in 2020/21.

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Vojvoda was dismissed from Santos in the early hours of this Thursday, after a 2-1 defeat to Internacional at Vila Belmiro.

The Argentine had been struggling in the role with the team's poor performance and could not withstand the negative streak of results in the Brasileirão, especially in the last two home games, with a draw against Corinthians and a defeat to Inter.

Vojvoda joined the club in August 2025 and leaves with 33 games. There were 10 wins, 13 draws, and 10 losses, totaling a 43.4% success rate. Peixe endured the third consecutive game without a win, with two draws and one loss, in addition to being eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Paulista.

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