Ups and downs: Fernando Diniz’s six months in charge at Vasco | OneFootball

When Fernando Diniz took over Vasco on May 13, he found a bleak scenario. The team had gone eight matches without a win in the season, still under the command of Fábio Carille and Felipe, and carried two recent humiliations against Puerto Cabello and Vitória. The negative streak led to the dismissal of Marcelo Sant’Anna, then the director of football, and raised the alarm for the management due to the real risk of relegation at the start of the Brasileirão.

Only in the eighth round of the championship, Pedrinho — in his most personal decision at the helm of SAF — did not hesitate and brought in Diniz, his favorite choice since the beginning of his tenure. The bet was clear: there was time to rebuild.

Six months after his debut, in the 1-0 defeat to Lanús in the South American tournament, the panorama changed. Vasco is no longer competing in the continental tournament but has left behind the specter of the Z-4, climbed to the top half of the table, and nurtures the dream of winning the 2025 Copa do Brasil. The team flirted with the G-7 after an impressive streak of six wins in seven rounds, but three consecutive defeats cooled the momentum.

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Fernando Diniz, Vasco vs Juventude — Photo: Jorge Rodrigues/AGIF

Less dependence on Vegetti and a new game model

From the first training session, Diniz tried to implement his identity. The ideas are well-known: ball possession, offensive aggressiveness, high defensive line, and coordinated occupation of the field's sides. If before Vasco relied on crosses to Vegetti, the transformation was profound — and positive.

The team started to handle possession better and create more goal opportunities. Nuno Moreira and Philippe Coutinho gained prominence, becoming the creative engines of the team on the left side, where they form a strong sector alongside Tchê Tchê and Lucas Piton. On the right, Rayan and Paulo Henrique became the main outlets.

The definitive rise of Rayan

Surrounded by expectations since his youth, Rayan had not yet delivered in the professional realm. Diniz's arrival changed everything. The forward became a central figure and went from a contested promise to a name monitored by the National Team. With 12 goals in the Brasileirão, he is the fourth top scorer of the competition — and the second top scorer of the Copa do Brasil.

Mid-year, Diniz made only one request to the management: not to sell Rayan under any circumstances. Pedrinho held onto the player, and the result is evident on the field. Today, the youngster is the team's main offensive weapon and the greatest asset of the Diniz era.

The revival of Coutinho

Coutinho experienced his most difficult months before Diniz's arrival. Without a consistent run, physically limited, and often substituted early in the second half, the number 10 even said he didn't want to play anymore.

The coach changed his routine. He increased the training load, avoided resting the midfielder, and worked on his confidence. The effect was quick: Coutinho started completing matches again and became Vasco's great organizer — initiating plays in defense and finishing in attack.

The numbers confirm the comeback: this is his best season since 2019 when he played for Bayern Munich.

Direct involvement in the market

Diniz played a decisive role in the last transfer window. He participated in evaluating names with Admar Lopes, Pedrinho, and Felipe and was active in negotiations — personally calling to reinforce the Vasco project.

Robert Renan, Cuesta, Andrés Gómez, Matheus França, and Thiago Mendes heard from the coach before signing. The sale of Luiz Gustavo, promoted by Diniz to the professional team, helped generate funds for these players' arrival.

Robert Renan detailed the process:

Surge in the Brasileirão and dream in the Copa do Brasil

Individual improvement accompanied the results. From September to early November, Vasco had one of its best sequences of the season: six wins, three draws, and only one loss in ten games. The period took the club out of the danger zone, brought the team closer to the G-7, and secured a spot in the Copa do Brasil semifinals.

The team also became a tough visitor — thrashing Santos 6-0 at Morumbi, defeating São Paulo 3-1 at the same stadium, and beating Fortaleza, Bragantino, and Sport away.

Today, they are three points away from the 45 considered enough to avoid relegation and keep alive the hope of a knockout stage title.

Poor performance at São Januário

If away from home Vasco delivered good performances, at São Januário the performance was lacking. The team lost to Bragantino, Corinthians, São Paulo, and Juventude, and drew with Atlético-MG, Ceará, and Grêmio. There were only four home wins in 11 Brasileirão matches.

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Coutinho in Santos vs Vasco for Brasileirão 2025 — Photo: Matheus Lima

The defense remains vulnerable

Despite the offensive improvement, the defense continues to be the weak point. There are 48 goals conceded in 33 games — an average of almost 1.5 per match. In the last three matches, against São Paulo, Botafogo, and Juventude, eight goals were conceded. Most of them resulted from individual errors.

The criticisms: insistences and contested choices

The recent poor form reignited criticism of the coach. The insistence on Tchê Tchê and Matheus França was labeled as excessive, especially after using França as a second midfielder, a scheme that disrupted the midfield in the classic against Botafogo and irritated the fans.

In the match against Juventude, the repetition of the strategy resulted in boos and shouts of “fool” at São Januário.

The team's doubts: Vegetti and the midfield duo

Today, two points remain without a clear answer:

Vegetti and Tchê Tchê, once untouchable, are in poor form. Andrés Gómez and Hugo Moura performed well but have been inconsistent in recent rounds. Diniz will have until December to adjust the starting lineup that will face Fluminense in the Copa do Brasil final.

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