Crespo: I can't explain why I took the São Paulo job, it's a feeling | OneFootball

Coach Hernán Crespo added yet another frustrating result at the helm of São Paulo after the 1-0 defeat to Red Bull Bragantino this Saturday at Vila Belmiro, for the 33rd round of the Brazilian Championship. After the match, the Argentine coach was very candid when commenting on the problems the club has been facing.

A champion of the Asian Champions League, Crespo got used to fighting for the main titles with the last clubs he coached. At São Paulo, however, the reality is different. The Argentine coach knows he will not have the investment needed to build a squad capable of being a protagonist, but even so, he intends to remain in charge in 2026.

“Many times, feelings have no reason. When they called me, the club was fighting to avoid relegation. São Paulo called, I’m here because São Paulo is big, because I want to help. Let’s see, we still have another year together, let’s see what happens next year. We have a foundation to continue or not, it depends if I’m up to the changes we’re going to try to make. It’s about believing, having hope,” said Crespo.

After leaving São Paulo in 2021, the Argentine coach won the Qatar League, the Qatar Cup, and the Qatar Lica Cup with Al-Duhail. Then, at Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates, Crespo achieved the biggest title of his coaching career, the Asian Champions League, even competing in the FIFA Club World Cup.

The reality at São Paulo is different. Although the club has a chance to qualify for the next edition of the Libertadores, it will hardly be competitive against the continent’s main powerhouses. In recent editions of the tournament, Tricolor was eliminated in the quarterfinals precisely because it did not have the same quality as teams like Palmeiras and Flamengo, for example.

“Sometimes I won’t be the protagonist, because, as I said three days ago, we will need many years. But when you arrive at the club, you try to gain value and add value. That’s the idea. Try to help so that when we leave, we leave the club better than we found it. Will I personally see São Paulo great? I don’t know, but I’ll work so that maybe others can benefit from this situation. We came here to work, to give our best with the possibilities we have,” he added.

Amid so many problems at São Paulo, the team’s inconsistency on the field is what has drawn the most attention. Just a few days ago, Tricolor managed to draw with the powerful Flamengo even with so many absences. But this Saturday, they ended up defeated by Red Bull Bragantino, something Crespo admits he cannot explain.

“I still don’t know. We leave Vila Belmiro with a defeat, but I think the goalless draw would have been fair, because we didn’t create, we couldn’t play the way we know how to play. We didn’t have the level the match deserved. Why? I still don’t know,” Crespo concluded.

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