Felipe Melo speaks out on Vasco: "Now I have to say..."

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·30 de setembro de 2025

Felipe Melo speaks out on Vasco: "Now I have to say..."

The outstanding performance by Vasco in their 2-0 victory over Cruzeiro earned praise from an unexpected source. Former player and current commentator, Felipe Melo, analyzed the match and did not hold back in exalting the cruz-maltino team. According to him, the Gigante da Colina “gave a lesson” on the field, and the main credit goes to coach Fernando Diniz and the club’s management for their recent signings.

+ THE PERFECT FIT! Understand how Vasco’s new center-back duo has raised the team’s level

Vídeos OneFootball

Commentator praises Fernando Diniz’s work

Felipe Melo, who has previously been coached by Diniz, highlighted the coach’s ability to maximize his players’ potential. He cited as examples the midfielder Cauan Barros, who came from Serie B and became a starter, and the forward Rayan, who has seen his performance skyrocket. The commentator stated:

“It’s redundant to talk about Diniz and his entire staff. He’s a coach who, when he arrives, changes the atmosphere. Who was talking about Rayan until recently? Soon, the kid will be sold for 40 million euros, because he’ll be worth that.”

Rayan continues to earn praise wherever he goes – Photo: Alexandre Durão

New defensive signings also praised

The former player also made a point to praise the management’s work in the last transfer window, especially in defense. He highlighted the quality of the new center-back duo, formed by Robert Renan and Carlos Cuesta.

“A lot of people like to criticize, but let’s also praise Vasco’s signings. Look at the center-back duo that arrived, they’re already helping. (…) I wanted Robert Renan at Fluminense, even at Palmeiras,” he confessed, emphasizing the level of the signing.

Cuesta and Robert Renan earned praise from Felipe Melo – Photo: Matheus Lima/Vasco – Art/Jogada10

“Vasco gave a lesson,” concludes the former player

For Felipe Melo, the victory over the league’s runner-up, who hadn’t lost away from home in five months, was a demonstration of strength and tactical organization.

“Now I have to say, Vasco gave a lesson against Cruzeiro. (…) This is the result of a lot of hard work, I’m a fan of Diniz, he’s a guy who always gets the best out of his players,” he concluded.