Fortaleza pull the plug on Vojvoda era | OneFootball

Juan Pablo Vojvoda’s tenure as manager of Fortaleza came to an abrupt close this week, following a unanimous board decision taken after defeat in the Clássico Rei, according to Globo. The move ends a five-year chapter defined by historic highs but brought to a halt by mounting dissatisfaction within the club hierarchy.

Fortaleza’s board, led by CEO Marcelo Paz and director of football Sérgio Papellin, met on Monday to discuss the manager’s future—a process accelerated by recent results and concerns about declining standards on and off the pitch. While Paz had previously resisted pressure to part ways with Vojvoda, notably after a previous defeat to Santos, this latest run of form changed his stance. The board decided there was no longer confidence in Vojvoda’s capacity to turn the season around.

Sources indicate the root of the discontent was not solely the run of poor results, but also a perceived drop in the quality and intensity of training sessions. There was concern that training exercises had become routine, with fewer tactical innovations and diminished urgency compared with prior seasons. Those shortcomings, in the board’s view, were manifesting in match performances.

The tipping point arrived after consecutive defeats since the season’s resumption, including elimination from the Copa do Nordeste at the hands of Bahia, and a loss in the high-stakes derby against Ceará in the Brasileiro. The board was also troubled by Vojvoda’s subdued reaction following these setbacks. He reportedly offered little post-match dressing room feedback to players, leaving club leadership to address the squad directly—a break from previous practice.

Once consensus was reached, Vojvoda was summoned alone to the club offices, where he met behind closed doors with Paz and Papellin for roughly ninety minutes to finalise the terms of his departure. With the players already on a scheduled rest day, most only learned of the decision via the club’s social media announcement.

Vojvoda is widely regarded as the club’s most successful coach, having guided Fortaleza through its greatest era, but the season’s downturn—and the sense that the project had run its course—prompted the board’s call for a “restart” to the campaign. Léo Porto, existing assistant and under-20 coach, will step in on an interim basis for the upcoming league fixture against Bahia.

The club has now begun its search for a new manager, keen to find a figure who can reinvigorate the squad’s competitive edge and restore the team’s trajectory. The coming days are likely to provide further clarity regarding the next steps in Fortaleza’s project.

Original source: Globo