Portuguesa Santista returns to the national scene with Santos in crisis – 10/11/2023 – Sport

After successive relegations, a serious financial crisis and even the fear of losing its stadium, Portuguesa Santista is rehearsing a recovery. The team guaranteed its return to a national tournament after an 18-year absence and is getting closer to the state elite.

The team’s best moment in years contrasts with the situation of the city’s biggest team, Santos.

The current vice-president of Portuguesa Santista, Emerson Coelho, remembers as if it were today the ungrateful surprise he received shortly after assuming the presidency of the club on the coast of São Paulo, in 2017.

He had barely occupied his new position when he was informed of the execution of a labor debt with the folkloric former striker from Paraíba, Zinho, who swore he had a similar physiognomy to that of the Spanish actor Antonio Banderas, interpreter of the character Zorro.

Zinho played for Briosa in the early 2000s, after remarkable spells at Sport, Portuguesa da capital and a dozen other clubs.

“All the presidents were appealing, and [a dívida] left for me. Something that had been going on since 2002 and fell into my lap,” the director told Sheet. “Today Portuguesa has no labor action, no debt. Zero. Get negative certificate [de débitos] at municipal, state and federal levels.”

Six years later, the moment for the century-old club, one of the founders of the FPF (São Paulo Football Federation), is better. Finalist of the Copa Paulista, the club last week took part in a national competition 18 years after their last appearance, in the 2005 Series C.

The team faces São José this Saturday (14), at 3 pm, in the decisive game. In the first leg, they won 1-0 at home.

The champion earns R$250,000 and the right to choose to compete in the Copa do Brasil or Série D do Brasileiro. The runner-up gets R$150,000 and the tournament is passed over by the winner.

“We are discussing, defining to see the best path,” said football manager Cassiano Carduz.

While Briosa celebrates recent victories, Santos is experiencing a tumultuous year. Currently in 14th place in the Brazilian Championship, the “rich cousin” is breathing hard after eight consecutive rounds in the relegation zone, but still finds itself under threat.

“We are rivals on the field, but off it we help each other. Santos, Portuguesa and Jabaquara represent the city. I think the club was unlucky due to bad management, but I’m sure it will recover. I’m really rooting for that. We have separate lives, but we are united”, said Carduz.

Proximity, at least physical, actually exists. The distance between Portuguesa Santista’s Ulrico Mursa stadium and Santos’ Vila Belmiro is just 500 meters.

Santos is also one of those who help Briosa to overcome the lack of structure. Without a training center, the red-green association uses its own stadium to train or uses the Peixe CTs, in addition to the Pagão Sports Center, owned by the city hall. On the eve of the first final, he trained at CT Rei Pelé because of the rain.

“When I arrived, in 2018, it was raining inside our accommodation. We only ate lunch, and the athletes made do at dinner. In the medical department, there was just a doctor and a physiotherapist. And on longer trips we went on the same day for not being able to concentrate. A lot has changed,” noted Carduz.

It is not uncommon to see Santos players at Portuguesa matches, such as goalkeeper João Paulo, and members of the black and white club’s technical committee, including goalkeeper trainer Arzul and coach Marcelo Fernandes.

“Marcelo was with us [foi treinador do clube em 2017 e zagueiro em 1999]. He is very involved with the city, with everything”, said Coelho.

The club became professional. Joined ProFut (Brazilian Football Management Modernization and Fiscal Responsibility Program) to resolve old financial and fiscal problems. It reinforced accommodation, created a physiotherapy department, led by Luiz Alberto Rosan, former Brazilian national team, and has several support professionals.

According to the top hat, Briosa today has around 400 paying members and survives, mainly, on revenue from three sponsors, in addition to agreements with food, internet and electronic scoreboard companies.

The team for the Copa Paulista was captained by experienced coach Sérgio Guedes, 60. 26 players were hired, in addition to three remaining from Série A-2. According to Carduz, with a budget of one third of the expenditure in the first semester.

In recent years, the club has tried to rescue a kind of lost link with the fans. He used the name Briosa again and again, full of courage, as the team is known. He started producing content on social networks, in addition to bringing names identified with his shirt, such as former full-back Rafael Ferro, now a technical assistant.

“The club felt very isolated and only looked inside the gate. Today there is a relationship with the federation, with other boards, we attend congresses, we have adopted Briosa’s visual identity once and for all,” said Coelho.

Relegated from the state elite in 2006, the club experienced difficult years with consecutive falls to the Second Division of Paulista, which is actually the fourth level.

Until August 2022, there was a fear that much of the land occupied by the club since 1971 would be lost. Granted by the Union as a loan, the federal area houses the corporate headquarters, but was sold at auction.

In the agreement with the new owners, the Peralta business group will provide part of the area to build a vertical building to serve its members. The stadium will remain and will receive renovations on the facade. The club has already vacated the part of the land that will receive a residential complex.

“We handed over our entire fund and I believe we started construction in January. It is in the planning approval phase, but it will be done”, assured Coelho.