Santa Clara football coach Vasco Matos publicly blasted his team’s “horrible” attitude and lack of effort following a 5-0 defeat, vowing to make difficult decisions.
“I will make decisions, no matter who it hurts,” Matos told reporters after the Allianz Cup match in northern Portugal. The loss eliminated Santa Clara from the tournament’s final-four stage.
Matos described the first half as “horrible” with “little effort” and an “attitude that does not dignify our institution, our fans, or management.” He pointed to a “total complacency” that led to them losing duels and falling behind 2-0 early.
He noted that giving minutes to some players “to show what they’re worth… was clearly visible,” suggesting dissatisfaction with individual performances.
The coach emphasized the need for Santa Clara to operate at its peak. “This is a year where we know that if we are not at our limit, we are a very ordinary team,” he stated.
Matos committed to taking “actions to ban this kind of behavior from our working group,” reiterating his resolve to make decisions “no matter who it hurts, no matter the cost.”
He made it clear that the team would follow the path set by club management, not individual player preferences. “It’s easy and visible to everyone. We will follow the path we want and not what someone individually wants, because the administration is in charge,” Matos said.
The coach added that he would not speak to the players immediately. “I won’t even talk to the players; they are intelligent, and sometimes silence is better than many words,” he concluded.