Diniz criticizes arbitration after possible penalty to Vasco: ‘Easy to be marked’

Coach Fernando Diniz showed dissatisfaction with arbitration after a 1-1 draw between Vasco and Botafogo, in São Januário. During a news conference, the coach complained of an unmarked penalty involving Marlon Freitas and compared to another occurred in a recent team match.

– I saw the image and found a penalty easy to mark. As easy as Piton’s (against youth). Very similar. Open hand, raised arm. I don’t understand… the criteria are very different in Brazilian football.

The coach also prepared criticism because of the lack of punishment regarding “wax” and recalled when coach Léo Jardim was expelled in the match against Internacional.

– Just like the wax. The only guy who was expelled in history… It’s as the commentator says: It’s not a doctor, but it’s not a muggle. Everyone is muggle now. The only one that is not muggle is Flavio, who expelled Leo Jardim against Inter. The lack of criterion irritates a lot. If it wasn’t a penalty today, it can’t be Piton’s, ”he said.

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Despite dissatisfaction with the result, Diniz valued the team’s performance, especially for the attitude adopted against the rival.

– We had a change in the team’s posture. It was fierce, solidarity, closer and more concentrated. Today it was missing to win the game. Our rival is strong and well trained. I was glad with the performance, but not with the result. On the way back, the game will be hard. It is open- projected the coach.

The commander also highlighted the functioning of the defensive system, widely criticized in recent games. For him, the goal conceded by Vasco was the merit of the opponent.

“I don’t think there was a problem, on the contrary, I think Lucas Freitas and Hugo Moura took virtually the entire game.” There was a header at the beginning, it is a strategy that we didn’t expect. The goal had a lot of merit from Botafogo. The guy scored a head of the entrance to the area. Rare happiness of the intersection and the head. If I were going to do something totally different from Corinthians, the Corinthians goal, we had four collective and individual flaws for the goal to leave. Today was a lot of merit, ”he said.

Diniz still pointed out small adjustments necessary to avoid the goal of the goal, but reinforced the defensive solidity of the team.

– If I were going to make an adjustment, today I said that Rayan and Alex Telles would have to get down there to avoid the intersection, it was far away for Paulo Henrique to get the cross. But it is the detail of the detail. So there was a lot of merit from Botafogo and we did not suffer from the center of coffee. I think we knew how to score well, we knew how to return quickly to catch the second balls and the team was very competitive. I also believe in the defensive system, the marking, the defensive system, the whole team may have been Vasco’s best match – concluded.

TRUST OTHER COLLECTIVE TOPICS

Barros and Jair

– I liked both. Jair, with a lot of justice, was the best on the field. It is a prize for the person who is. Everyone knows that when I arrived here, he was very questioned. I had the possibility of leaving. I always liked him, I tried to take him to São Paulo and to Fluminense. It is an exemplary worker. He deserved a moment of being praised by the fans and scoring a goal, which was very important. The boy did very well, has bright future ahead. Barros, in 2021, in my first time here, was from the U17, the Andrey Santos and Marlon Gomes class. He was on a list that would go up if I continued. When he had his chance to come back, it was a joy. It was fine in América-MG. He is well in training and today he played very well.

Matheus France

It’s a player I like a lot. I faced him in 2023 a few times, when he was a starter with Vitor Pereira. It is very dynamic, can play in various functions of the attack, until 8. It is multipurpose. It has resources to play, 10, 8 and false 9. This has contributed to me to bring it.

Possibility to arrive another defender

“It’s not closed, but I don’t know if Vasco will have more signings forward.” I got involved in all hires, talking about the players. Hiring is always difficult, it is not easy to get hiring, especially with little financial resource, I have said that more than once. These players were monitored by every department, I’m not a coach to indicate a lot of players. I am calm, because the chance of you making a mistake when you want to bring, just to give you a satisfaction out, to the fan, you end up making mistakes that later you can not correct. I think in doubt you don’t have to bring almost ever, we have to be a little more sure to be able to make the nominations. These players, all I actively participated in the negotiation, really spoke to the players, all were very committed and very desired to come to work at Vasco. We trust that they will help us a lot.

Reinforcement of reinforcements

– Regarding Robert Renan and Matheus França, we have to be calm, because so, they haven’t played for a long time. Robert’s last game was in May and he was in Saudi Arabia. And Matheus França had a holiday period, he had an injury and was returning to work with the team now, a week ago, about 10 days. Now that the FIFA date will help, but we need to be calm to know when we will be able to use them in full.

Tchê Tchê Injury

– I think until then (return game) will be able to play, he had a light stretch. Today our expectation is this, that there he is in a position to play.

Paulo Henrique’s situation

– Paulo Henrique he had discomfort in the thigh we had an exam that accused a little of edema, a minimum edema back there. We were evaluating and very cautiously, putting it to the game, so it was a very thoughtful thing, he probably had nothing serious, because he was getting it. He was discomfort, the discomfort was increasing, but he probably did not have a big injury, things like that, we will reevaluate tomorrow and now there is this time from date FIFA, obviously that probably for the Sport game he will be out, and for the Botafogo game he must be available again.

Nilton Santos’s synthetic lawn

– The disadvantage always has, because playing inside your home is an important factor, but not decisive, it is important. So we know that playing at Nilton Santos will have Botafogo fans, which will encourage the team, as ours encouraged, and there is the question of lawn, that we have to try to adapt quickly, we have played there a few times, Vasco has played there, but I repeat, it is different to play lawn on synthetic.

Hugo Moura’s positioning

He has played in the defender at other times. He played at Flamengo like this. If you look at how a defender, played well in every game. Won all the duels. It has a good ball, it has a long ball. He can play as a defender at any time. Just as you can play on the wheel. The truth is that it will play who is better on the team. I don’t like this “makeshift” term. It can be in defense. I will try to climb the team that makes Vasco more chance to win the games.

✅ Data Sheet
Vasco 1 x 1 Botafogo
Brazil Cup – Wednesdays (IDA)

📆 Date and Time: Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at 9:30 pm (Brasília time);
Location: São Januário;
🟨 Referee: Anderson Daronco (RS);
🚩 Assistants: Rodrigo Figueiredo Henrique Correa (RJ) and Victor Hugo Imazu dos Santos; 🖥️ VAR: Rodolpho Toski Marques (PR).

Goals: Jair 16 ‘/1ºT (VAS); Arthur Cabral 7 ‘/1ºT (bot)

Yellow cards: Vegetti and Hugo Moura (Vas); Arthur Cabral, Marlon Freitas, Marçal and Danilo (bot)

⚽Sclasses

Vasco (Technician: Fernando Diniz)

Leo Jardim, Paulo Henrique (Puma Rodríguez), Hugo Moura, Lucas Freitas and Lucas Piton; Jair, Barros, Rayan (Estrella), Coutinho (Andrés Gómez) and Nuno Moreira (David); Vegetti.

Botafogo (Technician: Davide Ancelotti)

John, Vitinho, Kaio Pantaleão, Barboza and Alex Telles; Danilo, Marlon Freitas (Allan), Álvaro Montoro (Matheus Martins) and Artur (Newton); Chris Ramos (Savarino) and Arthur Cabral.