Sampaoli rues lack of cutting edge, praises effort, eyes Brasileirão

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·23 novembre 2025

Sampaoli rues lack of cutting edge, praises effort, eyes Brasileirão

Atlético finished as runners-up in the 2025 Copa Sudamericana after being defeated by Lanús on penalties this Saturday, and left the field in Paraguay with the feeling that they could have won the title. In the post-match press conference, coach Jorge Sampaoli highlighted the team's superiority during the 120 minutes, but acknowledged that the lack of decisiveness was crucial for the final result.

According to the coach, Galo created clear opportunities to win in regular time, but failed to turn their dominance into goals.

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“We weren’t decisive, we didn’t take advantage of the chances we had. Against an opponent who didn’t trouble us. Football is also about being clinical. It went to penalties and then it’s hard to analyze.”

Sampaoli showed frustration with the outcome of the match and regretted not delivering the continental title to the fans.

“In the final, being so superior, we could have won. That leaves us bitter and causes pain for the fans who came to support the team and deserved a different result. I regret not having the opportunity for the team to convert the clear chances we had. We ended up in penalties, which we missed, and the opponent took advantage.”

Despite the elimination, the coach emphasized that the work at the club is still under construction and that he intends to make use of the youth squad looking to the future, something that, according to him, has not yet been possible due to the intense sequence of matches.

“It’s a process, a period of adaptation. The truth is that when we arrived here, close to the relegation zone, playing every 72 hours, we didn’t have time to put in the youngsters who have a future. The pace is so high, because of the number of games, that it doesn’t allow us to clearly see which youngster could come in under these circumstances.”

Regarding his stay, Sampaoli was firm in stating that he plans to continue at Atlético through 2026.

“I have a two-year contract here. I want to build a long-term project at this club. In Brazil it’s complicated, but my idea is to build something like what was done in 2020.”

The coach also commented on the performance of goalkeeper Everson, a standout in the team’s campaign and responsible for previous qualifications in the competition.

“We’re sad because it slipped away, a match where everyone in the locker room struggles to understand how we didn’t win. Everson is a goalkeeper who gives us a lot, not just in the game but in shootouts. The qualifications were thanks to Everson. We have to console him and think that we’ll play in 48 hours against Flamengo, the league leaders, and try to see which players are in the best shape.”

With no time for regrets, Sampaoli stated that the focus is now on the continuation of the Brazilian Championship. Atlético returns to the field in 48 hours, against Flamengo, the competition leaders, and the coach is already evaluating which players will be in the best condition for the match. “Honestly, I’m thinking about the next game”, he summarized.

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