GOODBYE OLD YEAR
Despite fighting against relegation, rubro-negro ends the year with a title and qualification for the South American Championship
Published on December 31, 2024 at 03:00
Vitória ends season with “rollercoaster of emotions” Credit: Victor Ferreira/EC Vitória
Vitória fans who have not yet fulfilled their promises can advance the process so that the next season is even better compared to 2024. Despite the fight against relegation during much of Series A of the Brazilian Championship, the red and black says goodbye with a title and qualification for the Copa Sudamericana.
Vitória’s year started in the best possible way. Back in Series A after five seasons outside the elite of Brazilian football and still excited by winning the second division, the first national title in its history, Leão drew up a plan prioritizing the Campeonato Baiano. The idea was to win a title in the year to reaffirm Vitória after seasons of failure and political instability within the club.
In this context, the red and black team even played with reserves in the Copa do Nordeste and were eliminated from the competition, not even getting past the group stage. The objective, however, was set and was achieved. They beat rival Bahia at Barradão, turning the score around in the 94th minute and lifted the competition trophy inside the Arena Fonte Nova after drawing in regulation time.
Times of crisis
Base of the Serie B champion team maintained, coach in the best phase of his career and recent state champion. This is how Vitória returned to Série A. Their debut, at Barradão, took place against the competition’s champions, Palmeiras. On the field, Leão was beaten 1×0 and lost its ten months of unbeaten record at home.
The setback was the first in a sequence with just one point won in 15 matches. The performance in the first rounds cost Léo Condé his position, who was quickly replaced by Thiago Carpini. The new coach arrived at Vitória bringing order to the house, as he exposed the team’s troubled backstage and removed players he considered harmful to the environment.
In this context, Mateus Gonçalves, Rodrigo Andrade and Dudu lost space within the club. The midfielders were even involved in an episode of aggression committed by members of one of Vitória’s organized fans against the players, which marked the end of their time at Toca do Leão.
Reconstruction
Carpini’s return to Salvador was the first of the decisions that culminated in Vitória’s stay in the first division. The coach understood the mission and made it clear that the objective would be to recover the team’s morale and escape being relegated at the end of the competition. In 61 games during the year, there were 26 wins, 23 defeats and 12 draws for Leão, with a 49% success rate achieved through 82 goals scored and 71 conceded.
The first step of the strategy put together by the red-and-black commander was to “stop” the team’s defense, which was conceding many goals. Léo Condé conceded 11 goals in Serie A, an average of 2.2 per match. To achieve this, the coach changed the team’s scheme and Vitória started to play with three midfielders, which offered more defensive stability. The change had an effect and the team managed to score 14 more points in the first round.
With the start of the return, new signings arrived and Vitória took the competition by storm. With 32 points won, the red and black team had the seventh best campaign of the last 19 Brasileirão games and managed to escape relegation in the third to last round. In the next game, they drew with Grêmio at Barradão and secured qualification for the Copa Sudamericana, an international competition they had not played in since 2016.
In his last press conference of the season, Carpini recalled the difficulties faced by Vitória and projected a more secure 2025. “There were many learning opportunities, mistakes and successes. We cannot make some mistakes that happened in this process, we will make other mistakes, but they will not be repeated. What Vitória did in 2024 is a very rare thing, especially in straight points”, he said.
“If we make the same mistakes next year, the bill could be more expensive. I hope we have more planning and organization within the process. I know the cast well, I know what was missing. We may have a path set for 2025”, he concluded.
