Luís Castro’s key missions as he takes charge at Grêmio | OneFootball

Luís Castro begins work at Grêmio in a week, presenting on Friday with his staff and the squad to launch 2026. His brief is to restore competitiveness and reset standards after two difficult years.

According to Globo.com, Grêmio ended 2025 as Gauchão runners-up, fell to Alianza Lima in the Sudamericana play-off and to CSA in the Copa do Brasil last 16, spending much of the league near the drop before finishing ninth.

Castro’s track record with Porto’s academy and B team suits a club with limited funds. Tiaguinho, Gabriel Mec and Luis Eduardo will start with the seniors, while under-17s Pedro Gabriel and João Borne could step up after the Copa São Paulo.

The coach has been frank about finances, stressing precision in the market. Grêmio have appointed Portuguese analyst Hugo Ribeiro, formerly of Benfica, as head scout aligned with Castro, and are working on Tetê of Panathinaikos, who played under him at Shakhtar Donetsk.

He maintains the current group can compete even without many signings. Cuéllar underperformed, Monsalve struggled with injuries and Cristaldo needs to rediscover old levels. Villasanti is recovering from ACL surgery on his left knee and is due back late in the first half of the year, close to the World Cup.

A safer Brasileirão is another target after two seasons spent glancing over the shoulder. Defensive numbers underline the task, with 73 goals conceded in 2023, 75 in 2024 and 73 in 2025, compared with 81 in the 2021 relegation campaign.

Source: Globo.com