GIRLS IN ACTION
Squad takes the field this Sunday (12), at 4pm, at Carneirão
Published on January 12, 2025 at 02:00
Bahia under-20 team faces Jacuipense in the first official game of the season Credit: Letícia Martins/EC Bahia
Just over a month after finishing the 2024 season, Bahia will return to the field. But calm down, fan. It won’t be this time that coach Rogério Ceni’s main squad will be in action. This Sunday (12), the Squadron debuts in the Bahia Championship using the under-20 team. The first challenge will be against Jacuipense, at 4pm, at the Carneirão stadium, in Alagoinhas.
For the second year in a row, the club decided to hold the pre-season in Europe. Cast and technical committee arrived in Girona, Spain, on Friday (10). The team will use the facilities of Girona, a club managed by Grupo City, during the period on European soil. Therefore, it will be up to the under-20s to represent the Squadron in the first three state games.
The young team that will take the field at Carneirão has familiar faces, such as midfielder Roger Gabriel and strikers Ruan Pablo and Tiago, who were used a few times by Rogério Ceni last year. The board also signed attacking midfielder David Martins, who was at América Mineiro.
Furthermore, in the final stretch of preparation, the group was reinforced by athletes who returned from loans. Defender Marcos Victor, full-backs Ryan and Caio Roque, and striker Everton Moraes will also compete in the Bahian championship.
Another one who has a little more baggage among the athletes is goalkeeper Gabriel. Forming in the tricolor base, the 20-year-old player has played for Portimonense, in Portugal, and returned to the club last year. He was on the bench in the 2-0 victory over Atlético-GO, in the last round of the Brasileirão, which guaranteed tricolor classification for the Libertadores. For many players, competing in Baiano will be the chance to show their service and, who knows, be used for the rest of the year.
“I see it now, together with the guys at the base, as a huge opportunity for me, for them. I believe that together with them, the guys here who are professional, will face the games as if it were any game in any Brazilian Championship, in the Copa do Brasil”, said full-back Ryan, excited.
With the experience of having already played for the main team and played in Series B of last year’s Brasileirão for the CRB, Ryan says he will try to reassure his teammates and warn of the dangers of the state championship. In 2024, the under-20 team lost 1×0 to Jequié and drew 3×3 with Atlético de Alagoinhas in the first two games of the tournament.
The person responsible for “conducting” the tricolor orchestra will be coach Leonardo Galbes. He was chosen to replace Rogério Ferreira, fired last year. Galbes was in the main team of Louletano, from Portugal, and has spent time with Bolívar, Al-Hilal, Coritiba and the Bolivian national team.
On the other side, Jacuipense wants to take advantage of the tricolor’s alternative team to start well at Baianão. Runner-up in 2022 and 2023, Leão do Sisal wants to regain its leading role on the local scene and, to do so, is betting on coach Rodrigo Chagas, an old acquaintance of the club.
The board reinforced the squad and, among other things, announced the return of midfielder Guilherme Rend, and signed striker Caíque, formerly of Bahia. One of the remaining players is left-back Alex Cazumba, who played for Bahia de Feira.
