Things are not going well for Santos in 2023. Eliminated in the 1st phase of the Campeonato Paulista, Peixe fell by the wayside in the Copa do Brasil, being eliminated in the round of 16 against Bahia, and also did not make it past the group stage in the South American Cup.
Furthermore, Peixe is going through a desperate situation in the Brasileirão. With 21 points in the table, Alvinegro Praiano is 17th in the league table, and with the 3-0 defeat to Cruzeiro on Thursday night, they could see the distance to Goiás increase to seven points.
With the 3rd defeat in a row in the Brasileirão, a headline made waves on social media this Friday morning. The setback for Cruzeiro at home appears to have been the trigger for the Santos board, who are considering firing coach Diego Aguirre just a month after hiring him.
The rumor, which gained strength behind the scenes at Vila Belmiro in the last few hours, was heavily criticized by fans on social media. On Twitter, Peixe fans protested, considering that the team’s mismanagement is on the way to causing the club to be relegated to Series B, for the first time in history.
Santos following the relegation playbook
— Rhuanᶜʳᶠ (@rhuaan17) September 15, 2023
Santos changing coach for 74829191 this year, and it’s no use
— Guilherme (@iGuilherm) September 15, 2023
Santos fans mock the board’s decision on Aguirre
The year 2023 is marked in the history of Santos Futebol Clube, not only because of the numerous management problems that the team has been going through throughout this season, but also because of, to say the least, questionable decisions made by those who manage the association.
This year, Alvinegro Praiano had no less than four coaches, and could go to its 5th coach if Aguirre is dismissed from the club this Friday. The team started the year coached by Odair Hellmann, then by Claudiomiro Santiago, on an interim basis, then by Paulo Turra, who coached the team in just seven games, and now by Diego Aguirre.
Such a number of changes in the technical command was not forgiven by the fans of the Baixada Santista team, who mocked the team’s own situation, and are just hoping that the worst does not happen for the club at the end of this season. Peixe is one of the few teams considered big that has not yet been relegated.
Train Santos and try to last more than two months: impossible challenge
— Pedro Vieira (@PedroVieira_25) September 15, 2023
Wow, like a change of coach.
— RENAISSANCE (@oalbertocampos) September 15, 2023
It looks like Silvio Santos messing with the SBT grid
— Mário Joaquim (@MarioJoaquimNT) September 15, 2023
Who is Santos’ next opponent in the Brazilian Championship?
With no time to regret, and needing to recover quickly to try to save themselves from Série B in 2024, Santos is thinking about their next opponent in the Brasileirão. Still not knowing whether or not to stay with Diego Aguirre, Peixe returns to the field this Monday (18), and will have a direct opponent in front of them.
Rogério Ceni’s Bahia, who debuted convincingly in charge of Tricolor by beating Coritiba 4-1 away from home, is Santos’ next commitment in the Brazilian Championship. The ball will roll at Arena Fonte Nova, in Salvador, starting at 8pm (Brasília time).
Even if the Bahian team wins, Santos will not leave the relegation zone. With 21 points in the table, Peixe is four points away from Goiás, who will still play in this round, against Palmeiras, away from home.
Santos’ next games
Bahia x Santos, Brasileirão Série A, Salvador-BA – September 18th (Thursday), 8pm (Brasília time);
Santos x Vasco, Brasileirão Série A, Santos-SP – October 1st (Sunday), time to be defined;
Bahia x Santos, Brasileirão Série A, São Paulo-SP – September 8th (Sunday), time to be defined.
