🧔 Eduardo Domínguez addresses Galo fatigue and gap without Hulk | OneFootball

After the departure of idol Hulk, who was presented by Fluminense this Monday (11), Atlético needs to move on.

And coach Eduardo Domínguez has a first decision to make: who will be the new free-kick taker?

Appearing calm, "Barba" used the 1-1 draw against Botafogo to explain that Galo will naturally find the "owner" of that responsibility.

"Whenever a major reference leaves, it creates a void. And that feeling of emptiness is normal. But Maycon took a penalty with great class in the derby. We scored from a set piece in the previous match. Vitor Hugo got free at the far post and missed the header. He fell when he went for the ball and couldn’t finish well. Cassierra missed at the near post before Vitor. In other words, this is the situation we have. Yes, I understand the feeling, but we solve it as a team."

Besides that issue, Eduardo Domínguez addressed the topic of the Minas Gerais side’s "fatigue," considering that in their last 10 matches, they have had only three wins, two draws, and five defeats.

"I believe that everything is interconnected. It’s not just the defensive side, nor just the attacking side, it’s the whole thing. It’s not just physical, nor just mental, it’s everything. If one player is tired, that spreads to everyone in daily life. One is tired and, when he did that, he passed the ball to another player and the game went on. I can’t say it’s just one aspect, because everything is interconnected. What we have to improve is everything. And it’s a little bit of each thing. Because, at the end of the day, it’s a little bit of each thing. We know what we need to improve and how we need to improve."

Atlético return to action next Wednesday (13), when they visit Ceará at Arena Castelão for the second leg of the fifth round of the 2026 Copa do Brasil (first leg: 2-1 to Galo).

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

📸 EITAN ABRAMOVICH - AFP or licensors