Rui Costa backs São Paulo fans, denies racism, cites Crespo sack | OneFootball

Rui Costa tried to calm the situation with the club’s main ally, the fans, and came to the defense of the Tricolors in the controversial issue in which some journalists raised the hypothesis of racism against Roger Machado (see our opinion on the subject here), as he has been facing heavy criticism in the stands and on social media.

The club’s football executive gave an interview to UOL, published this Saturday (25), and defended the fans: “I don’t think it’s fair when people say São Paulo’s fans are racist. Anyone who says that does not know the club, its history, or its idols,” Rui said.

Among other topics, the man in charge of Tricolor football revealed that he already knew Crespo’s dismissal would face strong rejection, since the Argentine coach was leading the Brasileirão and was very beloved by the fans, in addition to always being very honest in his answers. However, Rui Costa justified it by revealing a few more reasons that led to Hernán’s departure.

“I would like to defend the fans, because discussions have ended up running very high in recent days and we have seen many things being said. I don’t think it’s fair when people say São Paulo’s fans are racist. Anyone who says that does not know the club, its history, or its idols. We are talking about one of the most popular clubs in the country. I understand that the fans’ frustration has other reasons, linked to the difficult times São Paulo has gone through in recent years. But we also know that, regardless of the difficulties, we are much stronger with them by our side,” said Rui Costa.

“The fans have every right to criticize the players, coaching staff, and board. What I humbly ask is that during the 90 minutes, the stands be our ally, as they always have been. After the match, I believe any non-violent demonstration is valid,” he added.

CRESPO’S DEPARTURE

“When we made the difficult decision to bring Crespo’s cycle to an end, we knew there would be a reaction, because he had a connection with the fans and the results in the opening rounds of the Brasileirão were positive. But it was a technical decision, based on what we saw day to day, to which the fans do not have full access, and also on an irreconcilable divergence of concepts and goals.”

“That does not change the respect I have for Hernán, with whom I worked in two different moments, including winning the 2021 Paulista. But we understood that it was time for a change. We believed, and still believe, that São Paulo can aim for great things, no matter how great the difficulties may be.”

“No one is happy to fire a coach, and I’m no different. I respect the criticism, I know I will be held accountable if it does not work out, that is part of my job. I just want to say that the change was made out of conviction, with São Paulo in mind. We have a constant goal of improving and we work hard toward that every day.”

DOES HE STAY IF ROGER IS SACKED?

“Without a doubt, I work for São Paulo Futebol Clube and my only commitment is to dedicate myself fully so that the process constantly evolves. Roger Machado is not here because of friendship or personal affinity; the coach’s arrival was a strictly professional choice. The only time I was at Roger’s house was more than ten years ago, when we finalized his hiring to lead Grêmio. He has never been to my house, he does not know my children. We have an excellent working relationship, just as I do with other coaches.”

“He is not here because he is my friend; I have never hired and never will hire professionals based on personal ties. He is here because he knows football, has a long career as a coach, and enjoys the respect of the board and the players for what he does day to day. My relationship with Roger Machado is similar to the ties I have with other professionals I have worked with here, such as Rogério Ceni, Hernán Crespo, Dorival Jr., Zubeldía, Carpini, among others,” the Tricolor director concluded.

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