Without Cuca, Atlético-MG continue preparations to face Vitória | OneFootball

Atlético-MG is going through a period of change. After the departure of coach Cuca, confirmed this Friday (29), Galo continues its preparations to face Vitória this Sunday (31), at 6:30 p.m. (Brasília time), at Barradão, for the 22nd round of the Brazilian Championship. The team will be temporarily led by assistant coach Lucas Gonçalves, who already conducted this morning’s technical and tactical training session on field 1 at Cidade do Galo, alongside the club’s permanent staff.

Lucas, in fact, has a positive track record at the helm of the black-and-white team. In six matches, he has five wins and just one loss, which represents an 83% success rate. His last stint as interim coach was the 1-0 victory over Athletico-PR at Arena MRV, in the 2024 Brasileirão. Before traveling to Salvador, the squad will have one more training session this Saturday.

For the match, Atlético will have the important returns of Junior Alonso, Dudu, Hulk, and Tomás Cuello, who served suspensions against São Paulo. On the other hand, the medical department remains busy: Bernard, Saravia, Lyanco, Patrick, Cadu, and Caio Maia are still undergoing treatment at Cidade do Galo and are out of the game.

Cuca’s Departure

Cuca’s departure was the main topic of the day at the club. In his third spell, the coach led the team in 47 matches, achieving 22 wins, 13 draws, and 12 losses, with a 57% success rate. The 2-0 defeat to Cruzeiro last Wednesday, in the Copa do Brasil, was decisive for his dismissal.

In a letter, the coach thanked the players, management, and fans, but admitted to leaving the club with a “bad feeling,” especially due to the expectation of winning the Copa Sudamericana.

Now, Galo seeks to get back to winning ways in the Brasileirão. In 12th place and still far from the top group, the team from Minas needs to collect points to avoid any risk of a relegation battle. In the Copa Sudamericana, they face Bolívar from Bolivia in the quarterfinals.

Against Vitória, in Salvador, Atlético will have its first opportunity to start a new phase post-Cuca and try to regain confidence for the rest of the season.

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