Santos start Copa Sudamericana bid seeking to erase recent embarrassments | OneFootball

Santos return to continental action on Wednesday, visiting Deportivo Cuenca at the Alejandro Serrano Aguilar in Cuenca, Ecuador, kick-off 19:00 Brasília time, aiming to put recent Copa Sudamericana embarrassments behind them.

According to Globo.com, their most recent campaign, in 2023 under Odair Hellmann, ended at the group stage as they finished third with five points, eliminated after a home defeat to Newell's Old Boys that prompted protests and fireworks thrown onto the pitch.

Hellmann was dismissed and Paulo Turra took charge for the final game, a 0-0 draw with Blooming at Vila Belmiro.

The previous season they topped Group C with 11 points under Fabián Bustos, edging Unión La Calera on goals scored, but went out in the last 16 to Deportivo Táchira after 1-1 draws home and away, losing 4-2 on penalties.

It was the first Brazilian elimination to a Venezuelan club in 28 years, following Minervén’s win over Botafogo in the 1994 Copa Conmebol. The fallout brought fierce protests at Vila Belmiro, a dressing-room sign torn down and departures for Bustos and executive Edu Dracena.

In 2021, Santos beat Independiente in the last 16, winning 1-0 at home then drawing 1-1 away thanks to goalkeeper João Paulo. They fell in the quarter-finals to Libertad, losing 1-0 in Paraguay after a 2-1 home win, the away goal deciding it. Their last deep run came in 2020, when they lost the Libertadores final 1-0 to Palmeiras under Cuca.

Source: Globo.com