Vasco: Diniz hits back at criticism of Tchê Tchê and Vegetti | OneFootball

Vasco experienced a night to forget at the Nilton Santos Stadium. Dominated from start to finish, the team lost 3-0 to Botafogo on Wednesday (5th), during the 32nd round of the Brazilian Championship, further distancing themselves from the top seven positions.

After the match, coach Fernando Diniz gave a press conference and acknowledged that the result was fair, admitting to collective and personal errors in managing the game.

— “The 3-0 score reflected what the game was. Apart from the initial minutes, when we had some control without being very aggressive, Botafogo was dominant. We defended poorly, played poorly, and I am largely responsible for that. They created more, defended better, and deserved to win,” stated the coach.

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Telles. BOTAFOGO vs Vasco for the Brazilian Championship at Nilton Santos Stadium, November 5, 2025, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. Photo: Vitor Silva/Botafogo.

Changes and Imbalance

Diniz explained the decision to substitute Tchê Tchê at halftime and place Matheus França further back, aiming to give more creative power to the midfield. However, the attempt had the opposite effect and left the team even more exposed.

– “The game was 1-0, we needed to try to equalize. Matheus had been training well and came in to add offensive rhythm. We even improved at the start of the second half, created chances, but then we disorganized and conceded the second goal. That was when the game was decided,” he explained.

The coach also responded to criticisms about an alleged “sentimental debt” with Tchê Tchê, a player who recently returned from injury and has been a starter despite the good form of Hugo Moura and Barros.

– “It's laughable to say I start Tchê Tchê out of debt. Not even if he were my son. Two months ago, he was among the top three players in almost every game. He's the player for the position, and we want him to return to that level. If I have to take him out, I will. I've always done that,” he responded firmly.

Vegetti and the Weight of the Collective

Another topic discussed was the performance of forward Pablo Vegetti, who had a lackluster performance in the derby. For Diniz, the Argentine was the “most sacrificed” by the poor collective performance.

– “It would be unfair to criticize Vegetti today. He thrives on crosses, on balls in the area, and we produced little. The team played poorly, defended poorly, and didn't create. If the team had performed and he missed goals, it would be different. But that wasn't the case,” he pondered.

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BOTAFOGO vs Vasco for the Brazilian Championship at Nilton Santos Stadium, November 5, 2025, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. Photo: Vitor Silva/Botafogo.

Focus on Juventude and Self-Criticism

Winless for two rounds, Vasco returns to the field on Saturday (8th), at 6 PM, at São Januário, to face Juventude for the 33rd round of the Brasileirão. The coach preached humility and warned about the risk of underestimating the opponent.

-“The hardest games are the ones that seem easy. Juventude is fighting for survival. We need to improve a lot if we want to win. It's time to correct mistakes, regain confidence, and react at home,” concluded Diniz.

With the setback, Vasco remains mid-table, seeing the Libertadores qualification zone drift away, entering a decisive moment of the season.

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