Ceará, the upcoming Copa do Brasil opponent of Atlético Mineiro, is enduring a difficult spell this season. In an unusual move last weekend, several players from the squad stood alongside head coach Mozart during the post-match press conference to publicly share responsibility for the team’s recent poor performances.
After a 1-0 home loss to Atlético Goianiense on Saturday (May 9), the traditional news conference took on a different tone as players joined the coach in front of the media. Team captain and defender Éder spoke on behalf of the group, emphasizing that the initiative came entirely from the players themselves, not from the board or coaching staff.
“This is genuine. Nothing forced by anyone. It’s something we’ve felt internally for a while — sharing responsibility in tough moments. It’s not fair that, after every setback, our coach comes here alone to take the blame, just like the president,” Éder said.
He added: “This group — the ones here and those in the locker room — have shown over the past four months that we can do much more than we’ve done recently. I believe the biggest share of the blame is ours. We’re the ones on the pitch, in the games. We have to do things differently to change this scenario. The aim here is to share responsibility. Maybe the right word is justice. It’s not fair that the guys take all the blows alone when we are the main representatives on the field.”
Ceará will face Atlético Mineiro on Wednesday (May 13) at 9:30 PM local time at Arena Castelão in the second leg of the Copa do Brasil’s fifth round. The team from Minas Gerais holds a 2-1 advantage from the first leg at Arena MRV and can advance with a draw. Ceará needs to win by at least two goals to progress directly; a one-goal win would force a penalty shootout to decide the spot in the round of 16.
