Crespo hails Luiz Gustavo’s return, dodges Luciano drought talk | OneFootball

As expected, Hernán Crespo sat down for a press conference after São Paulo's victory over Fortaleza this Thursday (2), in the Brazilian Championship, with an unmistakable look of relief.

The tricolor team, heroically playing with one less player for more than 70 minutes, ended a streak of four consecutive defeats without scoring goals. The coach took advantage of the peace that had been absent for weeks to praise his group. And to make it clear that despite the setback from the cup eliminations, it should be clear: “the São Paulo squad is standing strong,” in his own words.

“The team always pursued the same line, with courage and fight. It is moving to see this group play, often criticized, but they fight and strive every day to achieve results. The identity the group always defended. It’s a rival we hadn't beaten in 11 games, to come here and win in this way, with all the adversities, it’s a group that is standing strong,” he said.

In tonight's match at Castelão, a more faithful example of the overcoming spirit that marked the tricolor night was Luiz Gustavo. The veteran took the field for the first time since recovering from a pulmonary embolism, diagnosed on April 5.

Since then, he underwent a rigorous medical protocol, which included rest, medication, and a gradual return to training. And after being listed for two games where he stayed on the bench, he completed 50 matches for the Morumbi club with a more than secure performance even when improvised in defense.

An achievement that deserved to be highlighted with a somewhat emotional tone in Crespo's words.

“Every player has a story. It's easier today to talk about Luiz Gustavo because six months ago he was running on the sidelines and running to return. With such a career, believing in coming back is only passion. Great passion for the day-to-day, love for football. These things are important for the group and are messages for everyone. When you play with passion every day, it's nice,” he pointed out.

The same serenity, however, was maintained when questioned about another name in the squad: Luciano. The number 10 was one of the biggest targets of criticism and dissatisfaction with the elimination in the Copa Libertadores, lost his starting spot tonight, and, coming in the second half, scored, ending a drought of more than two months without scoring goals and expanding the epic lines of the São Paulo game.

Even so, Crespo avoided making more effusive comments about his forward, making his respect for the player clear. “It’s the moment to talk less about Luciano. There is a lot of talk. When I arrived, there was a lot of talk and it was positive. In this period, the talk is not so positive. It’s time to stay calm,” he concluded.

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