Artur Jorge plays down schedule, maps Cruzeiro plan v Boca Juniors

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·18 Mei 2026

Artur Jorge plays down schedule, maps Cruzeiro plan v Boca Juniors

After Cruzeiro’s 1-1 draw with Palmeiras last Saturday, in the 16th round of the Brazilian Championship, head coach Artur Jorge gave a press conference and addressed important topics involving the club’s run for the rest of the season. Among the issues discussed, the coach spoke about the team’s physical wear amid the packed schedule, explained the decisions made during the match in Barueri, and also looked ahead to the decisive clash against Boca Juniors in the Copa Libertadores.

Cruzeiro are going through a marathon of matches this month of May. The team have already played five games in the period and still have four more commitments before the break for the World Cup. The next challenge will be one of the most important of the season so far: the match against Boca Juniors this Tuesday (19) at La Bombonera, with a chance to put qualification in Group D of the Libertadores on track.

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Even with this demanding run of matches, Artur Jorge made it clear that he is not working with preservation or squad rotation in mind for future fixtures. According to the coach, Cruzeiro’s focus is always on the next game.

In response to questions about substitutions considered too late during the draw against Palmeiras, the Cruzeiro manager defended the decisions made throughout the match and said he was trying to keep the team competitive until the end.

“These issues (the schedule) do not even deserve this kind of comment. The substitutions are made with the aim of finding and maintaining the team’s consistency so it can play at its best. The schedule and the team’s performance are not matters that should cause any concern because we had to win this game (against Palmeiras) and we fought to win. We didn’t manage it, but we have to think game by game without thinking about resting players or choosing an eleven for three or four matches from now. When we think that way, in my opinion, we are wrong, and we have to look at reality.”

After that, Artur Jorge stressed that Cruzeiro took the field against the Brasileirão leaders with their strongest lineup and guaranteed that the focus now shifts fully to the Libertadores.

“Today (Saturday) we played against Palmeiras, we played with the best team, we kept the best players the team needed, and now we will think about what comes next, which is the Libertadores.”

Coach looks ahead to the atmosphere at La Bombonera

Besides the schedule, the coach also commented on the atmosphere expected for the clash against Boca Juniors. The first-leg match at Mineirão was marked by incidents on the pitch, especially involving players from the Argentine side and midfielder Matheus Pereira.

Asked how he imagines Cruzeiro will be received in Argentina, Artur Jorge avoided getting into controversy and stressed that the team’s main concern should be its competitive attitude on the field.

“I expect nothing in relation to how we will be received, but I do expect the way we will arrive, because that is what will make the difference in what we achieve or not. A competitive, serious and above all determined approach to get the result we are looking for.”

Cruzeiro arrived in Buenos Aires on Sunday night (17) and are looking for an important result to move closer to qualification for the Libertadores round of 16. The match against Boca Juniors takes place on Tuesday (19) at 9:30 p.m. at La Bombonera.

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