Santos: Almanac Brasileirão 2023

Club

Santos Futebol Clube.

Foundation

14 de abril de 1912

Stadium

Stadium Urbano Caldeira, known as Vila Belmiro, capacity: 16.068.

Mascot

Whale

Kits e Sporting Goods Suplier

Umbro. Shirt nº1 white, shirt nº 2 black and white.

Main Sponsor

Blaze, around R$ 22,5 million year.

Main titles

2 Club World Cups: 1962 and 1963

3 Copa Libertadores: 1962, 1963, and 2011

1 Conmebol Cup: 1998

1 Recopa Sudamericana: 2012

1 Copa do Brasil: 2010

8 Brazilian Championships: 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 2002, and 2004

22 São Paulo State Championships: 1935, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1978, 1984, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2016.

Last 3 Brazilian Championships Final Standings:

2020: 8th Place, 54 points, 14 wins, 12 draws, and 12 losses, 52 goals scored and 51 goals conceded.

2021: 10th Place, 50 points, 12 wins, 14 draws, and 12 losses, 35 goals scored and 40 goals conceded.

2022: 12th Place, 47 points, 12 wins, 11 draws, and 15 losses, 44 goals scored and 41 goals conceded.

Main Signings for the Season:

• João Lucas, right-back, signed from Cuiabá, 3-season contract. R$ 6 million for 70% of the rights.
• Dodi, defensive midfielder, terminated his contract with Kashiwa Reysol, 3-season contract.
• Messias, center-back, signed from Ceará, 3-season contract.
• Mendoza, forward, signed from Ceará, 3-season contract.
• Rodrigo Fernandez, defensive midfielder, exercised the purchase option from Guarani of Paraguay. R$ 6 million.
• Joaquim, center-back, signed from Cuiabá, R$ 16.7 million (about 3 million euros) for 60% of the economic rights, contract until December 2026.
• Lucas Lima, attacking midfielder, free agent, contract until the end of 2023.
• Alison, defensive midfielder, free agent, contract until the end of 2023.
• Daniel Ruiz, midfielder, signed on loan until the end of 2023 from Millonarios, with a purchase option at the end of the contract.

Coach

Odair Hellmann, 46 years old, in the club since the beginning of 2023

Squad

Goalkeeper:

João Paulo, nº 34, Brazilian, 29/06/1995 (27 years old) – Developed in the club’s youth academy.

Vladmir, nº 1, Brazilian, 16/07/1989 (33 years old) – Developed in the club’s youth academy.

Diógenes, nº 52, Brazilian,  06/01/2001 (22 years old) – Developed in the club’s youth academy.

Paulo Mazoti, nº 50, Brazilian, 11/07/2000 (22 years old) – Developed in the club’s youth academy.

Center Back:

Messias, nº 24, Brazilian, 03/11/1994 (28 years old)

Maicon, nº 33, Brazilian, 14/09/1988 (34 years old)

Alex, nº 31, Brazilian, 10/05/1999 (23 years old) – Developed in the club’s youth academy.

Eduardo Bauermann, nº 4, Brazilian, 13/02/1996 (27 years old)

Luiz Felipe, nº 2, Brazilian, 09/09/1993 (29 years old)

Joaquim, nº 28, Brazilian, 28/12/1998 (24 years old)

 

Right Back:

João Lucas, nº 13, Brazilian, 09/03/1998 (25 years old)

Nathan, nº 16, Brazilian, 05/09/2001 (21 years old)

Left Back:

Lucas Pires, nº 44, Brazilian, 24/03/2001 (22 years old) – Developed in the club’s youth academy.

Felipe Jonatan, nº 3, Brazilian, 15/02/1998 (25 years old)

Gabriel Inocêncio, Brazilian, 20/08/1994 (28 years old)

Defensive Midfielder:

Dodi, nº 19, Brazilian, 17/04/1996 (26 years old)

Sandry, nº 6, Brazilian, 30/08/2002 (20 years old) – Developed in the club’s youth academy.

Rodrigo Fernández, nº 14, Uruguaio, 03/01/1996 (27 years old)

Vinícius Balieiro, nº 17, Brazilian, 28/05/1999 (23 years old) – Developed in the club’s youth academy.

Camacho, nº 29, Brazilian, 02/03/1990 (33 years old)

Alison, nº 5, Brazilian, 01/03/1993 (30 years old) – Developed in the club’s youth academy.

Midfielder:

Ed Carlos, nº 37, Brazilian, 19/03/2001  (22 years old) – Developed in the club’s youth academy.

Miguelito, nº 47, Bolivian, 25/04/2004 (18 years old) – Developed in the club’s youth academy.

Carabajal, nº 8, Argentine, 09/12/1990 (32 years old)

Daniel Ruiz, nº 7, Colombian, 30/07/2001 (21 years old)

Lucas Lima, nº 23, Brazilian, 09/07/1990 (32 years old)

Ivonei, nº 15, Brazilian, 16/04/2002 (20 years old) – Developed in the club’s youth academy.

Luan Dias, Brazilian, 31/07/1997 (25 years old)

Winger:

Lucas Barbosa, nº 21, Brazilian, 22/02/2001 (22 years old) – Developed in the club’s youth academy.

Mendoza nº 20, colombiano, 27/06/1992 (30 years old)

Soteldo, nº 10, Venezuelan, 30/06/1997 (25 years old)

Lucas Braga, nº 30, Brazilian, 10/11/1996 (26 years old)

Ângelo, nº 11, Brazilian,21/12/2004 (18 years old) – Developed in the club’s youth academy.

Striker:

Marcos Leonardo, nº 9, Brazilian, 02/05/2003 (19 years old) – Developed in the club’s youth academy.

Bruno Mezenga, Brazilian, 08/08/1988 (34 years old)

Players developed in the club’s youth academy:

João Paulo, nº 34, Brazilian, 29/06/1995 (27 years old)

Vladmir, nº 1, Brazilian, 16/07/1989 (33 years old)

Diógenes, nº 52, Brazilian,  06/01/2001 (22 years old)

Paulo Mazoti, nº 50, Brazilian, 11/07/2000 (22 years old)

Alex, nº 31, Brazilian, 10/05/1999 (23 years old)

Lucas Pires, nº 44, Brazilian, 24/03/2001 (22 years old)

Sandry, nº 6, Brazilian, 30/08/2002 (20 years old)

Vinícius Balieiro, nº 17, Brazilian, 28/05/1999 (23 years old)

Alison, nº 5, Brazilian, 01/03/1993 (30 years old)

Ed Carlos, nº 37, Brazilian, 19/03/2001  (22 years old)

Ivonei, nº 15, Brazilian, 16/04/2002 (20 years old)

Miguelito, nº 47, Bolivian, 25/04/2004 (18 years old)

Lucas Barbosa, nº 21, Brazilian, 22/02/2001 (22 years old)

Marcos Leonardo, nº 9, Brazilian, 02/05/2003 (19 years old)

Ângelo, nº 11, Brazilian,21/12/2004 (18 years old)

Santos has 14 base players in its squad, with emphasis on goalkeeper João Paulo, striker Marcos Leonardo and winger Ângelo, who are the main players of the team.

Valor de Mercado

79,90 mi. € segundo transfermarkt.com

Probable Starting Lineup for the Brazilian Championship 2023:

Line up:

João Paulo, João Lucas, Bauermann, Joaquim, Felipe Jonatan, Dodi, Sandry, Soteldo, Ângelo, Marcos Leonardo e Mendoza.

Most used formation:

4-3-3, 4-2-3-1.

Calcio Deal Review About The Squad

Santos Futebol Clube starts another year full of uncertainties. A club that throughout the 21st century was used to winning and competing for titles finds itself in its third season without great aspirations.

Santos starts 2023 with the last year of President Andrés Rueda’s tenure. As Santos’ leader, Rueda accumulated failures in the sports field, such as avoiding relegation on the last round of the 2021 and 2022 Paulista Championship, as well as not qualifying for the knockout phase in 2023.

In the Copa Sudamericana, Santos made history by being the only Brazilian team to be eliminated by a Venezuelan team in the competition when Deportivo Táchira accomplished the feat in Vila Belmiro.

In the Campeonato Brasileiro, Santos ranged from eighth to twelfth place in the last three editions, fighting against relegation during most time of the competition.

On the other hand, Rueda sees the situation as a restructuring cycle. Santos faced for more than one season the Transferban imposed by FIFA in the case of defender Cléber Reis, bought from Hamburgo – GER.

The President also reduced Santos’ payroll, increased revenues with several marketing actions, and transformed the club’s financial situation from catastrophic to stable.

Santos also announced this year the renovation of Vila Belmiro, which will become a state-of-the-art arena, a dream of Santos fans for some time.

Thus, Peixe comes to the 2023 Campeonato Brasileiro betting on the mix between its talented youth players, which is always very fruitful, and experienced players capable of providing the necessary support to the younger ones. President Rueda wishes to have greater continuity this year, so since the beginning of the season, he kept Internacional’s legend, Paulo Roberto Falcão, as director, and coach Odair Hellmann in their positions.

The team is indeed showing a slow and gradual evolution in relation to the first games of the year. A team that until recently didn’t have a well-defined playing style is showing that it can evolve and rely on the talent of some players combined with willpower and tactical discipline.

The playing style that Santos has been adopting in the last few matches is quite pragmatic. Odair Hellmann usually sets up the team in a 4-3-3 formation, which heavily relies on midfielder Dodi breaking the first line of defense with vertical passes or even carrying the ball, exploring his explosiveness and speed.

So, the ball should reach playmaker Lucas Lima, who despite resistance from the fans, has had good performances and is the team’s leader in assists.

Therefore, Lucas Lima faces the three men upfront. Of these three, only striker Marcos Leonardo is a unanimity and the team’s top scorer for the second consecutive year so far. The right-wing and left-wing positions varied between Lucas Barbosa, Daniel Ruiz, Lucas Braga, Mendoza, Soteldo, and Ângelo.

Despite Lucas Barbosa’s frequent starts as a starter, Odair should bench him. Ângelo and Soteldo suffered from injuries early in the year and should be the starters alongside Marcos Leonardo.

This frontline can provide Santos with good moments. Relying heavily on the technical quality of Ângelo and Soteldo, as well as the physical strength and goal-scoring instinct of Marcos Leonardo. However, the team still suffers from defensive problems, especially with the high ball, which should be a concern for Santos.

In that way, Santos doesn’t have great aspirations in the 2023 Campeonato Brasileiro. The team will have to fight to secure their place in Serie A, and then maintain a solid and organized base for the year 2024.

Spot Expectation for Calcio Deal

Fighting relegation.

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Written by Henry Miller and Vitor F L Miller.