Atlético-MG makes Cuca’s return official; fans react against hiring

Coach Alexi Stival, better known as Cuca, had his return to Atlético-MG made official this Sunday afternoon (29). The announcement of the signing took place through the Minas Gerais team’s social networks and received criticism from Galo fans. The main reason is the conviction for rape involving the professional.

The 61-year-old coach had been free on the market since June, when he resigned from Athletico Paranaense, and became an alternative for the club after the dismissal of Argentine commander Gabriel Milito. Cuca’s last job at Atlético was in 2021, when he won the triple crown: State, Copa do Brasil and Brasileirão. He was also responsible for leading the team to the Libertadores title in 2013.

Despite the winning record, the agreement with the coach is not well received by fans, who reacted against the signing on social media. “You turned the pride I felt in supporting this team into shame. Galo claims to be a people’s team, but apparently women are not included, this is a slap in the face to all fans.”, wrote a fan on coach announcement.

In January this year, the Regional Court of Bern-Mitteland, Switzerland, annulled the 1989 sentence that convicted the coach of having sexual intercourse without consent with a 13-year-old girl. The case happened in 1987, when he was a Grêmio player, during the team’s tour of the European country. In March, he agreed with Athletico Paranaense, but resigned in May after the team’s poor run, which ended the year relegated. At the time, president Mario Celso Petraglia was highly critical of the coach, stating that he used the club to clean up its image after Corinthians’ troubled departure.

After all, is Cuca innocent? Despite the dismissal of the sentence, it is not a change of verdict. This is because the merits of the case were not re-evaluated by the Swiss Court. Therefore, it is wrong to say that Cuca was innocent. With the annulment of the sentence and prescription of the case, there cannot be a new trial. The victim died in 2002, aged 28. One of the heirs was consulted, but did not want to be part of the process. The president of the court then decided to annul the case. In theory, there is an appeal, but neither party is willing to appeal.

With the dismissal of the case, the club that decides to hire Cuca will be legally assured that there is no history of conviction from a legal point of view, but will have to deal with the controversy from a moral point of view.

Alex Stival, known as Cuca, Henrique Arlindo Etges, Eduardo Hamester and Fernando Castoldi, then Grêmio athletes, were detained under allegations of having had sexual relations with a 13-year-old girl without consent. The case occurred at the Metrópole hotel, in Bern, Switzerland, in 1987, the year in which the Rio Grande do Sul team toured Europe. According to the local police investigation, the girl asked the players for autographs and t-shirts, who then took her into the room and abused her. She filed a police report hours later alleging that she had suffered sexual violence.

According to Estadão published on August 7, 1987, Grêmio’s version, at that time, was that the young woman invaded the room where the athletes were staying to ask for pennants, t-shirts and autographs and then left. On the same day, Estadão reported that Eduardo and Henrique had admitted to having had sexual relations with the girl, but consensually. Fernando and Cuca denied any participation. The victim’s lawyer, however, contested the version and stated that the girl did recognize the then Grêmio player as one of those who participated in the act.

Both Cuca and the other three Grêmio colleagues remained in prison for 30 days. After this period, they returned to Brazil after giving statements more than once and the pre-trial phase of the process was concluded. Cuca, Henrique and Eduardo were convicted in 1989, two years after the episode. The Swiss court sentenced the Brazilians to 15 months in prison and to pay US$8,000. But they never served the sentence stipulated for the crime, which expired in 2004. Fernando was sentenced to three months in prison and paid US$4,000 for being considered an accomplice.

Cuca was caught under the old article 187 of the Swiss Penal Code, which provides for imprisonment of up to five years for engaging in a sexual act with a child under 16 years of age. The Court understood that there was no violence on the part of Cuca and the other players, but rather “coercion” and “fornication”, as a spokeswoman for the Superior Court of Bern, responsible for giving the sentence 34 years ago, told Estadão.