Ceni analyzes investment made by Bahia and projects changes in 2025: ‘Let’s sit down and talk’

The 2024 season came to an end with a positive result for Bahia. In the Brazilian Championship, the tricolor achieved its best campaign in the history of consecutive points and secured a place in the Libertadores, ending a 35-year fast away from the competition.

Despite this achievement, the Squadron’s year was marked by ups and downs, with the loss of the Baiano title and elimination at home to CRB in the semifinals of the Copa do Nordeste. After the tricolor’s last game of the year, against Atlético-GO, at Fonte Nova, Rogério Ceni analyzed the season. He classified the year as good, but recognized that a title would give more peace of mind to the work.

“I think the lack of a title, whether from Baiano or Nordeste, would have helped a lot with the basis for the sequence. I think we surpassed ourselves at that moment, we played a classic with one less for 60 minutes, then we lost on penalties, but we had great growth at the beginning of the Brazilian Championship. Reaching the Pre-Libertadores is very important, I think we can always do more, we always have to want more”, began Ceni.

Rogério also spoke about the team’s drop in performance in the second half of the Brasileirão. The coach pointed out that, despite being part of the City Group, Bahia does not have infinite money, but considered that the squad could have received more reinforcements in the mid-year transfer window.

The coach also stated that in the coming days he will meet with the football board to outline the plan for next year and the hiring of reinforcements. In 2025, Bahia will compete in five competitions: Campeonato Baiano, Copa do Nordeste, Copa do Brasil, Libertadores and Brasileirão.

“I spoke [em entrevista no início do ano] that we would finish the championship in the best position in Bahia in terms of points. The City Group is very organized, has a sense of the future and moves gradually. I don’t have the same time. The coach suffers if he doesn’t win. So I knew we had to speed up. Two hires were made in the middle of the year. Iago Borduchi played little, he had the injury. Lucho helped us a lot in the final part. I think it serves as a warning for next year. Let’s sit down and talk to plan for 2025. I think it’s in the group’s interest to reinforce this team more and more”, said the coach, who added:

Bahia has not yet officially commented on the arrival and departure of athletes, but the club has ongoing negotiations. Of the current squad, six players are at the end of their contracts. They are: goalkeepers Danilo Fernandes and Adriel, right-back Cicinho, defender Víctor Cuesta, midfielder Acevedo and midfielder Carlos de Pena.

This Monday (9), Cuesta anticipated the tricolor and said goodbye to the club on social media. He lost space in the squad and played just 18 games this season.

Goalkeeper Danilo Fernandes, who started against Atlético-GO, asked for another year on his contract from Tricolor and can stay at the club. Adriel, on the other hand, belongs to Grêmio and Bahia would have to exercise the purchase right to keep the athlete.

The Acevedo midfielder is experiencing a similar situation. He is on loan from New York City and the tricolor must negotiate his stay with the American club.

Bahia’s season debut will be in the second week of January, against Jacuipense, for Baianão. The tricolor will use the under-20 team, as the main squad will be in pre-season in Girona.