Defender Thiago Heleno, one of the leaders of the squad and captain of Athletico, hit back at former coach Cuca, after the defeat to Cruzeiro, this Wednesday (26).
The 35-year-old defender denied any altercation in the dressing room after the draw against Corinthians in the previous round. The situation was exposed by Cuca himself, who reported an alleged argument between the defender and the sports manager, Paulo Miranda.
“I know that at the moment we needed it most, he [Cuca] jumped from the boat. And I will never do that, regardless of whether I am captain or not”said Thiago Heleno, in an interview with Transamerica Radio and to Canal MVafter the duel at Mineirão.
“It needs to be very clear: there was no argument in the locker room, there was no fight, there was nothing. Especially with Paulo Miranda, who is a personal friend of mine. He [Cuca] He mentioned that he was insulted by some fans and he didn’t like it, he felt bad. It was the first time in his career and he asked to leave”, he joked.
“Players wanted to abandon Cuca’s job”
Furthermore, Thiago Heleno also stated that he defended Cuca’s work in front of his fellow cast members. According to the defender, a number of Athletico players no longer believed in the former coach’s work at CT do Caju.
“I, particularly, tried to help Cuca a lot here, in front of the group. Many athletes were already abandoning the ship under his direction. As more experienced people, who have already gone through difficult times here within the club, we were giving strength to the guys“, he added.
The General also assessed that Athletico’s current squad has the quality to overcome the troubled moment and that the more experienced players will never stop taking on responsibilities.
“It’s a delicate moment, but we’ve been through moments like this. Me, Fernandinho, Pablo… We may be in bad shape, but we’re there to help Athletico. Sometimes there are a lot of games, exhaustion, and we can’t respond in height that the fan wants”.
Manager denies internal crisis at Athletico
Also identified as one of the pivots behind Cuca’s departure, manager Paulo Miranda, who works connecting the locker room and the red-black board, also denied that he was involved in a fight with Thiago Heleno.
“I think Cuca interpreted it completely wrong and made the decision. It was really him who abandoned the boat and that’s it.“, said the former player, who denied the crisis at Furacão.
“The crisis is coming from outside. We lost a game. We have to be smart. We are and will continue to do our best for Athletico,” he added.
With assistant Juca Antonello in charge of the team on an interim basis, Athletico is preparing to face Vitória. The match for the 13th round is scheduled for next Sunday (30), at 6:30 pm, at Barradão, in Salvador.