OBJECTIVE ACHIEVED
Coach says that fluctuation in the second round will be a learning experience for 2025
Published on December 8, 2024 at 9:29 pm
Rogério Ceni celebrates qualifying for the Libertadores with players and fans Credit: Paula Fróes/CORREIO
After a second round of the Brasileirão marked by ups and downs, Bahia achieved its objective and secured qualification for the Copa Libertadores. The Squad reached the last round of Série A depending only on their own strength, but coach Rogério Ceni said that he experienced days of apprehension before the clash with Atlético-GO.
During an interview at Fonte Nova, the coach explained that he felt frustrated after the 3-0 defeat to Corinthians, and even revealed the strategy he used to “dry” Cruzeiro. The Minas Gerais team was the Squadron’s main competitor.
“The feeling after defeat [para o Corinthians] it was very frustrating. I didn’t even watch the games [dos rivais] because I’m unlucky, whenever I twist the opposite happens. I went to watch Atlético-GO, then that unfortunate little ball came and announced a goal for Cruzeiro. I left the TV and went cycling. Then an app talked about Palmeiras’ goal. Then I never stopped riding my bike. When Palmeiras’ winning goal came, I went home and thought about the game”, said Rogério, who shortly afterwards added:
“On Thursday we had extra motivation. We just depended on ourselves to qualify. Arriving at the stadium today was spectacular, I hadn’t seen that here yet. It was cool for us to go there as a form of retribution, a way of thanking the fan.”
Rogério took advantage of his contact with the press to pay homage to the 1988 Brazilian champions. He wore a shirt alluding to the title and remembered the team that had taken Bahia to the Libertadores for the last time.
“They were different days. That shirt in honor of ’88, I know the feat wasn’t that great, there was a title. But we took the club back to the Libertadores after 35 years. Of course, these days it’s easier, because of the number of vacancies. But I wanted to pay homage to these guys who made Bahia history in the 80s”, said Ceni.
The tricolor coach also took stock of the season. For him, the lack of the Bahian Championship or Northeast Cup title made the work more pressured. He also said that the drop in performance in the second round of the Brasileirão should be a learning experience for Grupo City in 2025.
