Unveiling, a free week and more: Vojvoda’s early days in charge of Santos | OneFootball

To calm the hearts of the fans, Juan Pablo Vojvoda will finally begin his tenure as manager of Santos. Announced last Friday, the coach will have an intense first week of work ahead, with a press conference and much more.

Vojvoda will be officially presented as the new coach on Tuesday morning, starting at 12:00 (Brasília time), in the press room at Vila Belmiro. Later, the Argentine will lead the team's first training session during the afternoon.

Vojvoda's first week will be crucial for the coach to better understand the characteristics of each player and the Santos squad as a whole. Additionally, the manager can use this time to identify the team's main weaknesses.

As recently reported by Gazeta Esportiva, the coach was given a free hand at the CT Rei Pelé. The management promised that the Argentine would have a protected environment and enough autonomy to remove players from the squad, as well as the freedom to make other decisions as he sees fit.

Vojvoda will formally begin his work at Santos on Tuesday. Already under contract, the coach was in the stands at Arena Fonte Nova last Sunday and watched the team's 2-0 loss to Bahia in the Brazilian Championship.

"The first contact, he [Vojvoda] only talked to us about a few things, but the work starts on Tuesday, literally. I'm sure it will be a good job, and we need to start getting results, and I hope it's on Sunday, at our home," said goalkeeper Gabriel Brazão in the mixed zone after the match.

Vojvoda's first week will also serve as an opportunity for the coach to begin implementing his initial ideas on the team. In the final stretch of his work at Fortaleza, for example, the manager adopted a 4-2-3-1 system, but also tested formations with three defenders on occasion.

Vojvoda's Missions

Vojvoda will have two main missions at the start of his tenure at Santos: to distance the team from the relegation zone and improve the team's defensive system, which has conceded 48 goals in 36 games this season. The team has the third-worst defense in the league, with 31 goals conceded, behind only Juventude (41) and Fortaleza (32).

The manager, however, has already shown that he has enough experience to reverse complicated situations. In 2022, for example, Leão do Pici, under the Argentine coach, was part of the relegation zone but recovered, finished in eighth place, and even made it to the Libertadores playoffs.

Another mission for Vojvoda will be to restore the team's confidence, which has been severely shaken by recent events. Santos was thrashed 6-0 by Vasco on August 17. Two days later, organized fans invaded the CT Rei Pelé to demand more from the squad. Last weekend, the team lost to Bahia.

Vojvoda will certainly have a lot of work ahead of him. However, the coach will have the week to start implementing his ideas. He will make his debut as manager of the team at 4:00 PM on Sunday, against Fluminense, at Vila Belmiro, in the 22nd round of the Brazilian Championship.

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