Website outlines why Grêmio are backing Luís Castro | OneFootball

Despite the fans’ boos, the intense external pressure after the defeat to Corinthians, and the recent departure of vice president of football Antônio Dutra Jr., Grêmio’s board has made a decision: head coach Luís Castro will remain in charge.

For the club’s leadership, changing managers at this moment is not the way to solve the team’s instability. Grêmio went into the World Cup break in 16th place in the Brazilian Championship with 21 points, just one spot above the relegation zone.

And the reasons keeping the Portuguese coach backed behind the scenes at the club were detailed by ge.

Check them out below!

📌 Why does Grêmio trust Luís Castro’s work?

Deep squad restructuring: The football department carried out a real overhaul this season, with 21 players leaving and six new signings arriving for 2026. Among them are the biggest investments in the club’s history: defensive midfielder Juan Nardoni (US$ 8 million) and forward Tetê (€6 million). The board believes this new group needs time to gel.

Lack of training time: With the Brazilian Championship starting early at the end of January, at the same time as the Gauchão, the team did not have a proper preseason. The board hopes the current 35-day break for the World Cup will give the coach the on-pitch time he had been missing. The squad returns to training on June 17.

Developing youth academy players: With a delicate financial situation, Grêmio needs to sell players. Castro’s work has closely followed the directive of betting on youth to generate future revenue. Under his command, youngsters such as center back Viery, full-back Pedro Gabriel, and attacking midfielder Gabriel Mec have established themselves. Other names, such as Luis Eduardo, Zortéa, and Vitor Ramon, have been given their first chances with the senior team.

🎙️ What people are saying behind the scenes

Before leaving his post as vice president of football last Saturday, Antônio Dutra Jr. summed up the board’s thinking on the difficulties faced by the coach and the need for time:

"We know we are facing opponents that are better structured, with more well-built squads, and that have not gone through as deep a restructuring as Grêmio has. These difficulties do not disappear like magic. But we believe there is still a lot to get out of what Grêmio can do with this group, during this break, with the arrival of players."

The Grêmio squad is currently on vacation, and the coaching staff is now focused on planning adjustments and possible new signings for the resumption of the season in the second half of the year.

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

📸 SILVIO AVILA - AFP or licensors