🤨 Cruzeiro face run that could define season before Copa do Brasil | OneFootball

Coach Artur Jorge is living his first days on the job at Toca da Raposa and, right off the bat, will face two months of an intense schedule that will define Cruzeiro’s direction in the 2026 season, even before the break for the World Cup.

The Portuguese manager’s debut comes this Wednesday (1), against Vitória, at Mineirão.

The challenge in the Brazilian Championship is urgent and delicate. The team from Belo Horizonte is stuck at the bottom of the table, with only four points from 24 available and no wins in the first eight rounds.

The statistical outlook is alarming, since 71% of the teams that failed to win by the eighth round in the round-robin era ended up being relegated.

Despite the immediate pressure in the domestic league, Artur Jorge made it clear during his presentation that he will not prioritize one competition over another.

According to him, the goal is to turn Cruzeiro into a strong and competitive brand inside and outside the country, approaching every tournament with the same seriousness.

The Libertadores campaign begins on April 7 against Barcelona in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

The entire group stage will be played through the end of May.

In the Copa do Brasil, the opponent in the fifth round will be Goiás, with the matchups scheduled for late April and mid-May.

The knockout tournament is seen as crucial both for the trophy and for the financial return, which could bring R$ 98 million to the champion.

To face this absurd run of 18 games in practically 60 days—an average of one match every three days—the coach will have to make do with the current squad, since the international transfer window will only reopen after the World Cup.

The biggest blow is in goal: veteran Cássio suffered a serious knee injury and will only return in the final quarter of the year.

Matheus Cunha, Otávio, and Marcelo Eráclito are the options. In midfield, defensive midfielder Walace, who failed to establish himself under the previous coaches, will try a new bid to earn more space.

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

📸 MAHMUD HAMS - AFP or licensors