Diniz: Vasco lost focus, red card was crucial for result

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Papo na Colina

·23 November 2025

Diniz: Vasco lost focus, red card was crucial for result

The crisis at Vasco took on new dimensions this Sunday. The 1-0 defeat to Bahia at Fonte Nova extended the team's worst streak in the Brasileirão: five consecutive setbacks. In a press conference, coach Fernando Diniz tried to explain the team's sudden turnaround, going from four consecutive victories to a scenario of total instability.

Diniz acknowledged that Vasco “lowered their level of concentration” after the good period in the championship — and pointed out differences between the recent defeats, but admitted the psychological factor as key in the bad moment.

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“We had a period of 12 games where we only lost to Palmeiras. After the thrashing against Santos, we lowered our level of concentration. The five defeats have very distinct characteristics.”

+ Léo Jardim admits critical phase at Vasco: “Now it's time to accept the criticism”

Fernando Diniz, Vasco's coach — Photo: Matheus Lima/Vasco

“The expulsion was decisive”

Analyzing the game in Bahia, the coach admitted improvement in the emotional aspect but emphasized that the team lost strength after David's expulsion:

“Today, the emotional aspect improved. We marked better, but lacked confidence and courage to enter the final third. The game was balanced. The expulsion was decisive for the result.”

According to him, Bahia took advantage of the numerical advantage to put in more attackers, and the goal came again from an individual error:

“We conceded the goal from an easily solvable mistake. This has been a constant in these five games: we are giving away the goals.”

Vasco increasingly under pressure

With 42 points and no reaction, Vasco could end the round just three points from the relegation zone, a situation unthinkable a few weeks ago. The sequence of defeats to São Paulo, Botafogo, Juventude, Grêmio, and Bahia exposes problems of confidence, creativity, and defensive stability.

+ Check out the highlights of Bahia 1×0 Vasco

Photo: Matheus Lima/Vasco.

The next two rounds will be at São Januário — against Internacional on Friday, and Internacional again on December 2 — and could define the future of the team in the championship. The last match will be against Atlético-MG at Arena MRV.

Pressure on Diniz is increasing, and Vasco enters the final stretch with no room for error.

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