Renato Gaúcho breaks silence after dressing-room row, eyes Vasco response | OneFootball

Coach Renato Gaúcho broke his silence on Monday afternoon (25) by publishing an official statement through his social media accounts about the crisis at São Januário following the heavy defeat suffered against Red Bull Bragantino in Rio de Janeiro. The Vasco manager had skipped the traditional Sunday press conference due to the strong emotional impact caused by the fans’ protests, who threw cups and called him a “coward” after São Paulo side’s third goal. The professional’s absence from the press room at Colina Histórica sparked rumors behind the scenes that he had asked to resign, but the coach made a point of rejecting the exit speculation and assured total focus on the remainder of the 2026 season.

In his public statement online, Renato adopted a regretful tone over the team’s poor technical performance this past weekend in the Brazilian Championship. He acknowledged the frustration felt in the stands and pointed to the need for an immediate rebound on the national stage:

View this photo on Instagram A post shared by Renato Portaluppi (@renatogaucho)

Backing from the board and unity in Vasco’s locker room

The coach’s statement online echoes the stance taken by executive director Admar Lopes and defensive midfielder Thiago Mendes, who took responsibility for the 3-0 scoreline the night before. The Portuguese executive had revealed that the group of players came together to protect the manager, understanding that the blame for three consecutive defeats must be shared equally between the squad and the SAF football management. The leadership committee met with the coaching staff for more than an hour to ensure the goals that had been set would be met and to provide the psychological stability needed for the daily work.

The midfielder and team captain also publicly apologized to the organized supporters and stressed that the players are fully behind the current manager in order to lift Vasco out of an uncomfortable 16th place. The coaching staff believes that the physical wear and tear from competing on three fronts at once has significantly hurt the defensive starters’ tactical cohesion. Club officials are trying to isolate the political atmosphere from the training center so the professionals can work calmly during this week’s sessions.

+ “We take the blame”: Admar Lopes and Thiago Mendes reveal behind-the-scenes details and defend Renato Gaúcho at Vasco

Thiago Mendes and director Admar Lopes spoke to the press after Vasco’s defeat – Photo: João Guerra

Decisive Copa Sudamericana schedule demands an immediate Vasco win

The training schedule at CT Moacyr Barbosa has been intensified to correct the serious defensive positioning mistakes that led to the heavy home defeat. Vasco will have the chance to respond immediately to its fans next Wednesday (27), when it hosts Barracas Central in a decisive Copa Sudamericana group-stage match. Taking all three points against the Argentine rival is a basic requirement for the club to secure qualification to the round of 16 without depending on other results.

Right after the knockout clash in the continental tournament, Renato’s group will once again focus all its efforts on the national competition to face Atlético Mineiro on Sunday (31). The goal set by Vasco’s leadership is to collect points in a row at home to open up a safe gap from the relegation zone before the calendar break for the World Cup.

Vasco was thoroughly outplayed at São Januário – Photo: Thiago Ribeiro/AGIF/FolhaPress

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