Santos manager Cuca has made a direct public appeal to the club’s board following a 2-0 defeat to Athletico-PR at Vila Belmiro, urging the administration to settle a pending financial dispute with French club Monaco and lift a FIFA transfer ban. Speaking in a post-match press conference alongside executive football director Alexandre Mattos, the coach stressed that the club needs immediate roster reinforcements to escape the Campeonato Brasileiro relegation zone.
“If we can break this transfer ban, I’m speaking from my heart: we have to break it,” Cuca stated. “If we can strengthen, we have to strengthen. Because two, three players come in and fortify and strengthen this whole roster here too. And we need that.”
The defeat dropped Santos to 17th place with 22 points after 22 matches in the Brasileiro standings, plunging the Alvinegro Praiano back into the domestic drop zone. Alongside their domestic survival battle, the club continues competing in both the Copa do Brasil and the Copa Sul-Americana.
Understanding the FIFA Transfer Ban
The administrative hurdle blocking Santos from registering new players stems from a 2023 transfer involving midfielder Jean Lucas. According to club records and sporting tribunals, Santos owes Monaco a remaining fee of 2.032 million euros, roughly equivalent to millions in Brazilian reais. While the club paid the initial installments of the agreement, the final 2-million-euro payment due in January 2025 went unpaid, prompting Monaco to file a claim with FIFA.
The resulting FIFA punishment bars Santos from registering athletes across three consecutive transfer windows. The club sought relief at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but suffered a legal defeat when the sports tribunal upheld the payment obligation alongside accrued interest. Prior to the CAS ruling, club officials attempted to negotiate a two-part payment plan for the remaining debt, but Monaco rejected the proposal.
Cuca acknowledged that relying exclusively on youth academy players is no longer viable given the severity of the sporting crisis. “It’s a vent I’m making, and forgive me if perhaps I shouldn’t,” the coach explained. “I like dealing with the kids, I adore it, but there are times when you cannot do it only with the kids, in a moment like this. It’s not the ideal moment.”
Coping with Fan Pressure and Next Fixtures
Beyond roster constraints, Cuca addressed the hostile environment surrounding the team as supporters voice their frustration over the club’s league standing. He admitted that both the players and the coaching staff expect intense scrutiny ahead of upcoming matches.
“We know that Thursday, during the warmup, there will be criticism. During the match, there will be criticism. It’s not just the players who get criticized. Up here on top of me, goodness me, there will be a lot of criticism,” Cuca said. “Even the folks who shout out today, they want to see their team win so they can applaud you. We have to understand that. Football is passion. There’s no way a guy can applaud you if you have the team in the relegation zone.”
Santos returns to action on Thursday at 19:00 local Brasília time (22:00 UTC) at Vila Belmiro, hosting Ecuadorian side Macará in the opening leg of the Copa Sul-Americana Round of 16.
