Santos Introduces New Coach
Santos of Brazil is going through a crisis at the start of the Brasileirão. The “Peixe” sits in 16th place in Serie A and was eliminated from the Campeonato Paulista in the quarterfinals. In response, the board has made a decision: appoint Alexi Stival, “Cuca”, as the new head coach.
The coach arrives after his fourth stint with Atlético Mineiro, and this also marks his fourth cycle leading the São Paulo-based club. Santos sees his return positively, as in his last tenure he managed to take the team to the Copa Libertadores final.
A Challenge to Avoid Relegation
The challenge is clear for both the club and the coach: avoid relegation. There are still many rounds left in the Brazilian league, so there is room to correct the course of a team that already suffered relegation in 2024.
Another relegation in such a short time would be a devastating blow for a historic club that has been very inconsistent since its last league title in 2004. Since 2022, Santos has not finished in the top ten of the standings.
The return of Neymar raised expectations as a potential turning point to restore some of the club's greatness, but the forward’s constant injuries, combined with instability on the bench, have kept the team in a very fragile sporting and administrative situation.
Since 2020, Santos has had 14 coaches. Only Fábio Carille managed to win a title, claiming Serie B in 2024, while the last significant trophy for the club was the Campeonato Paulista in 2016, under the guidance of Dorival Júnior.
Cuca faces a huge task ahead: stabilize the team, avoid another relegation that would be devastating, and try to bring out the best version of Neymar, who is also not at his best moment.
