Sampaoli officially unveiled, discusses "change of attitude" at Atlético-MG | OneFootball

With a contract signed until December 2027, Jorge Sampaoli was officially presented as the new coach of Atlético-MG to the press on Saturday morning at Arena MRV.

"For us, it's important to implement a change in attitude. We've worked for only a few days, but we'll try to change this negative dynamic of Atlético today. I believe there's an expectation to quickly change this reality and take Atlético as high as possible," said the coach.

Second Stint at Galo

This will be the coach's second stint at the Minas Gerais club. He led Atlético between 2020 and 2021, winning the Campeonato Mineiro title in 2020. In the same year, the team finished in third place in the Campeonato Brasileiro. In the press conference, Sampaoli was asked about his desire and willingness to return to Galo.

"Analyzing the squad, the characteristics of the players, it's a profile that matches my way of feeling football. I have great affection for Santos and for this club. In 2020, the team played the way I wanted. As I said, difficult moments can change quickly or not, but we will try to change the way we defend this jersey," he stated. "The Galo fan has a feeling very similar to mine. So, these factors were decisive (to be here)," he added.

Minas Gerais Derby in the Copa do Brasil

In his debut this season, Sampaoli will aim to overturn the 2-0 score from the first leg of the Copa do Brasil quarter-finals. The match will be against Cruzeiro, this Thursday, at Mineirão, at 7:30 PM (Brasília time). Currently, Atlético is in 14th place in the Brasileirão, with 24 points.

Regarding the match against Cabuloso, Sampaoli mentioned that the disadvantage is significant and that the absence of fans will be felt, as, according to the agreement between the boards of the Minas Gerais club, no Minas Gerais derby will have visiting fans.

"Regarding Cruzeiro, the disadvantage is significant. Playing without our fans will be an absence we will feel. We will try to change the course of history football-wise, even if it's difficult and complicated. But we always have the hope that the best will happen for us," he said.

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