Zé Ivaldo back for Santos, targets fresh start with Vojvoda | OneFootball

Santos may have gained an important "homegrown" reinforcement until the end of the season. After more than a month away, defender Zé Ivaldo returned to play for Peixe. The defender was reintegrated into activities after the arrival of coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda.

Zé Ivaldo was a starter and completed the 90 minutes in Santos' goalless draw against Fluminense at Vila Belmiro last weekend. The defender returned to wear the Peixe jersey in official matches after more than a month – his last appearance was on July 19, when he started in the 3-0 defeat to Mirassol.

“We counted on Luisão, Luan Peres, and João Ananias, who is currently training with us. Zé Ivaldo, we didn't have a player like him in quantity, who already has experience in Serie A, who has a good aerial game, with speed. I know what happens with his situation, I investigated, but I spoke with him. The player has to perform because the fan demands it. The coach demands: perform in training, because if you perform well, you will have the opportunity like everyone else in the games. I think [he] played a good match,” said Vojvoda in a press conference.

Zé Ivaldo in action for Santos in the draw against Fluminense (Photo: Raul Baretta/ Santos FC)

Even without playing for a month, Zé Ivaldo did not compromise and had a secure performance alongside Luan Peres. According to data from the Sofascore platform, the defender made four clearances, blocked one shot, and had three interceptions.

According to the statistics, he also completed 88% of the passes he attempted, did not suffer any dribbles, and won all the duels he contested, whether on the ground (1/1) or in the air (3/3).

“Players who perform in training and matches will have chances with Vojvoda. This is no secret. There are moments and moments for players, and I opted for Zé Ivaldo. This does not mean that I left Luisão and the others aside. At this moment, I thought about a moment for the team that needed a certain experience in our defense,” added the coach.

Zé Ivaldo's Removal and Social Media Post

Zé Ivaldo was removed from Santos towards the end of coach Cleber Xavier's tenure at Vila Belmiro. The 28-year-old defender was an undisputed starter until June but lost space after some mistakes. His last match until then had been precisely against Mirassol, on July 19.

From then on, Zé Ivaldo was not even included in the squad for Santos' games. He was left out of matches against Internacional, Sport, Juventude, Cruzeiro, Vasco, and Bahia.

The period away even led to a social media post by Zé Ivaldo lamenting the situation. Days after completing a month away from the field, the defender posted a photo of himself wearing the Santos jersey on the field and commented: “It's been a while,” with emojis indicating dissatisfaction.

Defender Faces Competition but Tries to Establish Himself with Vojvoda

Zé Ivaldo was recently reintegrated and returned to training with his teammates, even appearing in photos released by the club. The defender, for example, gained the coach's trust to start in the match against Fluminense and showed he can be useful.

Now, he seeks recovery to establish himself under Vojvoda's command. However, he will face significant competition. Peixe strengthened during this transfer window and signed two new defenders: Argentine Adonis Frías and Paraguayan Alexis Duarte.

Thus, the new number 27 will have to continue proving his worth if he wants to stay in the running for a starting spot in the Santos team.

Zé Ivaldo was signed by Santos on loan from Cruzeiro and has a contract until the end of this year. In the current season, the defender has played 27 matches, 25 as a starter, and scored one goal.

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