Cruzeiro beats Fortaleza and Leonardo Jardim talks about the calendar and evaluations of the championship: “We are on the right track”

Cruzeiro beats Fortaleza and Leonardo Jardim talks about the calendar and evaluations of the championship: “We are on the right track”


The coach highlighted the team’s physical exhaustion after the classic, responded to criticism of the “negative” phase and planned a full week of training before facing Palmeiras.




Coach Leonardo Jardim appreciated the 1-0 victory over Fortaleza, in Mineirão, but highlighted Cruzeiro’s physical exhaustion after the classic against Atlético. The coach acknowledged that the team had a good first half and saw a drop in performance in the second half, blaming the fluctuation on tiredness. “It was a victory with a lot of sweat and little inspiration. In the derby we played 50 minutes with one less and we only had two days to recover”he stated.

Jardim criticized the Brasileirão’s calendar, classifying the short gap between matches as “unacceptable”. “In other championships it would be impossible to play two days after a classic. It puts the quality of the game and the health of the athletes at risk”he said, citing the wear and tear of names like Caio Jorge, Wanderson and Christian. The coach celebrated the week off that the team will have before the duel with Palmeiras.

The Portuguese also responded to criticism of an alleged negative phase, showing the numbers: “In the first ten games of the second round we had 19 points; in the first round we had 20. We are practically level.” For him, Cruzeiro remains firm in its objective of guaranteeing a direct place in the Libertadores and in the planned plan.

Finally, Jardim strengthened the club’s reconstruction process and asked for the team’s work to be valued. “Cruzeiro hasn’t been in the top four for ten years. We’re putting the club back in the place it deserves. If we get in the top four it’s already a big step”he said. The coach also underlined that the team will face Palmeiras with the same mentality: “We respect the opponent, but we always play to win.”

Source: Terra

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