Why Renato Gaúcho will not travel for Vasco’s Sudamericana opener | OneFootball

Renato Gaúcho will not travel for Vasco’s Copa Sudamericana opener against Barracas Central at Florencio Sola on Tuesday, with assistant Marcelo Salles, known as Fera, taking charge. According to Globo.com, the 63-year-old has stayed in Rio with other players.

The choice is technical and had been set since the return from the international break, regardless of recent results, with a side largely of reserves and academy players. With a long trip to face Remo in Belém on Saturday in the Brasileirão, staff and board opted to prioritise the domestic campaign.

Pedrinho said the logistics are punishing, citing a Saturday match, Sunday travel, Tuesday game, early Wednesday arrival and a Thursday flight to Belém. He said Renato made the call with them to protect players’ physical capacity, noting that a compressed calendar strains smaller squads and fuels pressure.

It is not new for him, last year at Fluminense he also did not travel for a Sudamericana group match against Union Española in the third round.

Initially there was no plan to stay, but after losing to Botafogo on Saturday he signalled he wanted to remain in the city to stay close to his first-choice spine.

Had he gone he would have missed Monday’s session at Boca Juniors’ training complex and matchday Tuesday, so he chose a full week with most starters to work and build fitness. Most who started against Botafogo were rested, bar Puma Rodríguez, suspended for Remo, and Lucas Piton, also suspended, with physiologists advising caution given the short turnaround.

Source: Globo.com