Plain speaking! Renato cools Vasco hype: ‘You’ll think I’m criticising’

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Papo na Colina

·26 mars 2026

Plain speaking! Renato cools Vasco hype: ‘You’ll think I’m criticising’

The mood behind the scenes at Vasco has undergone a huge transformation under coach Renato Gaúcho, who has picked up 10 points out of a possible 12 and is maintaining a crucial unbeaten run in the league. The manager returned with the squad on the afternoon of this past Wednesday (25) to begin the preparation schedule during the break for the FIFA international window. The positive atmosphere is directly reflected in his daily interactions with Vasco fans on Rio’s beaches, but internally the message remains one of extreme caution.

During an exclusive interview that will air in full this Friday (27) on the ge portal and on the Tá On program on SporTV, the coach described the attention from supporters and put the brakes on any excessive excitement:

Vidéos OneFootball

“I go to the beach, and the fans don’t leave me alone—they hug me, kiss me, cry (laughs). That’s what fans are like. But calm down, everyone. We still need to work a lot. My feet are firmly on the ground.”

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Warning over Vasco’s squad and the World Cup transfer window

Despite the meteoric rise in the standings, the coach realistically sees that Vasco has a very thin squad to handle the volume of competitions. The coaching staff has pointed to the urgent need to bring in reinforcements in the second transfer window, believing that the mid-year break caused by the World Cup will provide the perfect setting for the board to freshen up the dressing room with big-name signings, mainly from the European market.

The manager revealed the substance of his talks with the club’s top leadership about the team’s shortcomings:

“I talk a lot with Pedrinho and the board. During this break for the World Cup, when the window opens, we need reinforcements so we can think bigger. And aim for something in these competitions we’re going to play in. I have 24 players, including three youngsters from the academy. Our squad is very thin, and we want to bring in players who will help us.”

Vasco’s board made major investments in the first transfer window of the season and is now dealing with a tighter budget, ruling out emergency signings until this domestic window closes on Friday (27). Starting in April, the schedule will demand a great deal physically from the current squad, as the club will play 17 decisive matches by the end of May (31), divided between the Brasileirão, the group stage of the Copa Sudamericana, and the fifth round of the Copa do Brasil.

Em boa fase no comando do Vasco, Renato Gaúcho falou sobre o carinho que recebe da torcida, mas pede calma e ressalta a importância de reforços ao grupo durante a Copa do Mundo: "Pensar ainda maior". E aí, o que achou das declarações? #Vasco #Brasileirão
– jeudi 26 mars 2026

Tactical turnaround and the players’ commitment

The great revolution led by the club idol at the helm of the Gigante da Colina is directly linked to the profound change in the players’ attitude and approach on the pitch. The coach worked tirelessly on the psychological side to restore the group’s confidence and lift the team from the uncomfortable bottom spot in the league, pushing the Rio club up to ninth place overall.

He was keen to explain the boost in morale he implemented without criticizing the previous management:

“I don’t want to get into how I found the group because some people will think I’m criticizing Diniz’s work, and I have nothing to do with Diniz’s work. I like him and get along well with him. We didn’t have time to train and we faced a run of teams that will fight near the top—Palmeiras, Cruzeiro, Fluminense and Grêmio. I talked to them, I had an idea, and I got it into their heads that they needed to play with confidence and commitment. It was that ‘desire’.”

The strategy of firing up the players’ pride had an immediate effect against some of the toughest opponents in the national league. The coach explained how he motivated the Vasco dressing room to chase the impressive 10 points won in the recent stretch:

“I said: ‘there’s no fan who’s going to boo if they see the team giving everything, running, battling—you can be sure of that.’ Vasco had four games and one point. It’s hard to take one point from 12; the bill comes due later on. Every round is difficult. The Brasileirão is the hardest league in the world. We took 10 points from 12 against those four big teams.”