Despite a defeat to Corinthians, the future of Roger Machado as São Paulo’s head coach remains unchanged — and a potential elimination against Juventude in the Copa do Brasil on Wednesday will not alter that.
**Coach Under Full Backing**
According to sources, the club’s top brass has assured Roger that his job is not dependent on Wednesday’s result. In the first leg against Juventude, São Paulo secured a 1-0 victory at Morumbis.
Internally, two key arguments have been presented: confidence in the coach’s long-term project and the club’s delicate financial situation — which recently saw the dismissal of marketing director Eduardo Toni. “He will not be fired. We cannot fire anyone. We’ve already let ten people go,” one insider stated.
Another source emphasized that the second leg of the Copa do Brasil’s fifth round is not a “final” for the coach. “His continuity does not depend on the result. It’s not a final for him. But we will advance,” they said.
Nevertheless, there is internal consensus that the team’s performance in the derby fell short of expectations — something Roger and his players acknowledged after the match. In the press conference, the coach said São Paulo “didn’t deserve better luck,” given “the errors the opponent knew how to exploit.” Calleri described the match as “the worst” at Neo Química Arena since he joined the club.
São Paulo needs only a draw against Juventude to reach the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals. At Morumbis, the team won the first leg by a minimum margin on a night marked by boos aimed at Roger Machado — both before and after the final whistle.
