Tempers flare as Vasco president confronts players in dressing room

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·15 de abril de 2026

Tempers flare as Vasco president confronts players in dressing room

Tensions flared behind the scenes at Vasco after the final whistle in the Copa Sudamericana. The comeback loss to Audax Italiano exhausted the patience of the board and coaching staff at São Januário.

A run of poor results and individual mistakes set off alarm bells at the Rio club. The team has piled up recent setbacks due to performances far below expectations in the Brazilian Championship and the continental tournament.

Vídeos OneFootball

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Pedrinho’s demands shake up Vasco’s locker room

Head coach Renato Gaúcho revealed details of the tense atmosphere after the match. He said president Pedrinho immediately went down to the stadium’s inner facilities to speak firmly with the Cruz-Maltino squad.

According to the coach, the president took the floor and demanded quick answers from the group. Behind the scenes, the talk was described as very tough and direct, reflecting the fans’ huge frustration with the mistakes made in recent matches.

Coaching staff’s stance and focus on the Brazilian Championship

Renato fully backed the Vasco president’s attitude and also made strong demands of the players. The coach said the group needs to understand the weight of the shirt and deliver a much more competitive performance from now on.

“We could have played much better football; with all due respect to the opponent, we could have done more. That was exactly the demand I made of them in the locker room just now, and the president did as well.”

The joint criticism targeted the lack of focus in decisive moments of matches, which has cost the team crucial wins this season. The board and the coach expect an immediate change in attitude for the next round of the Brazilian Championship.

“Pedrinho demanded more from them. That criticism is fair, but on the other hand, the referee sent off a player unfairly. We were already having some difficulty, and those difficulties increased.”