Santos Manager Faces Backlash

It was October 29, when a tearful Richardo Ferrari thanked the fans for their support of the club, and of him as a player. A typically moody player, the veteran striker was uncharacteristically calm when he explained his sacking by manager Sean7. He explained that he wanted to end his career here, and would possibly consider retirement. 31 years is a relatively young age to consider retirement, especially with a track record as Ferrari’s. However, his sacking was one of many this past month, as the Santos manager cleared house.

Patrício Bento and Helmer Hedburg have also been casualties of Sean7’s vision for the 2009 season. It came as a shock to both fan and player alike. All three players were integral in promotion to the RM Invitational, and were looking forward to one day ending their careers with a title at the highest level. Hedburg in particular was a consistent force in defence, playing the most matches in Santos history, before his papers came. He was a fan favourite among the squad, noted for his workman like performance and professional attitude on the pitch. Hedburg had achieved an almost cult status among Santos fans, and his abrupt sacking has seemingly shattered trust between fan and club. Hedburg himself was speechless when he found out he’d been given the slip. Recently, the manager has been accused of disloyalty shown towards the veterans, and many pundits have been claiming unrest behind closed doors.

‘It’s not that he sacked one or two players gradually, when their performances were declining, one RM executive said. It’s that he rapidly sacked them in succession, within the span of a single month. What does that do to team morale?

‘You look at the squad, and it’s a relatively young squad. I think Ribeiro and Mitchell could have learned more under Ferrari before he left. You’ve got to remember, these lads have barely come into the league, they need guidance at this crucial point.’

The results have proved otherwise. Both Mitchell and Ribeiro are on the verge of world-class status, with Ribeiro achieving a silver boot in season 3, while Mitchell is the league leader in points in this early campaign.
The midfield also boasts strong leadership, among captain Afonso, Golkás, Winnerljung and new arrival Sarapää.
The defence has virtually been a senior’s home, with 3 players over the age of 30. New arrival Felix Sandström, is the second oldest player in the squad.

‘I think when you look at our squad, it is easy to say they lack battle experience, given their relatively young age, said Sean7.
‘But you look at our young players, like Correa, and Franca, players who have played almost 70 matches and aren’t in the prime of their careers yet! What I want is a competitive squad, one that challenges each other based on performance, not on past merit.
'I believe success is an endogenous factor, success begins from the training ground up.Ferrari, Hedburg and Bento's play was declining, and while our youths were eager to show me what they could do. I realize that it was not a popular decision to make by any means, but that’s the risk I’m willing to take as manager. I truly believe what I did was in the best interests of the team.’

Indeed, while Sean7 has lost the intangibles of battle experience, leadership, and guidance, he has more than made up for it through re-newed desire, hunger and vigour within the squad. If, at the end of the season, Santos are where they want to be, the manager’s decisions this past month will be forgiven, however shocking they may be.