When a major club is relegated for the first time, there is always a different kind of uproar among its supporters. A first relegation causes an almost irreparable rupture in the team's image. Some even say relegation is an indelible stain on a club's history. However, there are always ways to reverse the situation.
We all agree that relegation is not the end of the world; many teams have gone down and returned in very good shape. The issue with Santos's relegation, however, is more “traumatic” because the team experienced a succession of unsuccessful administrations. Little by little, this undermined the squad and left it in agony until its relegation in 2023, with added cruelty.
Amid internal political turmoil, constant changes in technical leadership, and behavioral conflicts involving the team's would-be stars, it is undeniable that Santos did not contribute to its own success. Now, its participation in the “Brasileirão Rei,” the tournament's first edition after the loss of Pelé, the greatest icon in the club's history, will be remembered mainly for the intense desire to consign it to oblivion.
Poor Planning and Off-Field Problems Doomed Santos's Season
Despite the continuous failures over the course of the season, the Santos squad still included some of Brazilian football's most prominent young prospects, especially in attack, where talents such as Marcos Leonardo, Ângelo, and Deivid Washington emerged. Because of the difficult financial situation, however, the team was ultimately enticed by offers from abroad, resulting in transfer deals.
The R$160 million offer presented by England's Chelsea was irresistible. Deivid and Ângelo went to English football, while Marcos Leonardo, albeit reluctantly, remained until the end of the Brasileirão. In truth, Marcos had some good moments in the championship, scoring 13 goals.
It is undeniable, however, that the team lost strength with the departure of those young players. Off-field problems also occurred. Center-back Bauermann was one of the first players to become involved in a scheme connected to illegal betting companies and was consequently punished with a 360-day suspension from playing.
In addition to that episode, there was a serious case of indiscipline: two days before the match against Coritiba in the 37th round, forward Marcos Leonardo arrived late for the team's gathering. The player also seemed quite altered, as though under the influence of alcohol and possibly intoxicated.
Forward Yeferson Soteldo, one of the team's standout players, was also suspended in July due to a disciplinary incident involving coach Paulo Turra, who was leading the team at the time.
Santos's Relegation Has a Name: Andrés Rueda
All these failures of planning and internal leadership at Santos Futebol Clube were the work of a man who repeatedly demonstrated his complete unfitness to serve as president of such an important club in Brazilian football. Rueda's administration was a true ode to incompetence and mediocrity.
In 2023 alone, Rueda's Santos had five different coaches: Odair Hellmann, Claudiomiro Santiago (interim), Paulo Turra, Diego Aguirre, and Marcelo Fernandes. All failed in the mission to keep the club in the top tier of Brazilian football. Over three years, Santos had nine coaches, most with different profiles and distinct views of football. This shows a complete lack of criteria in selecting coaches.
When it comes to finances, Andrés Rueda also appears to have given a master class in incompetence. For 2024, the financial losses involving television rights amount to around 80 to 90 million reais. Besides the discrepancy between the broadcasting-rights revenue in Série A and Série B, Santos also failed to receive 16 million reais that would have been paid if the team had managed to stay in the first division.
The club will have around 20% less revenue in 2024. To fill the gap, it had to sell players such as Marcos Leonardo. Under Marcelo Teixeira's new administration, Santos hopes to return to the top tier of Brazilian football as early as next year, but it will be working with minimal room for error.
