Cuca reveals conversation with Gabigol after expulsion: "He apologized"

Cuca, coach of Santos, spoke about the expulsion of striker Gabigol during the 3-1 victory over Vitória, this Saturday (30), in the 18th round of the Brasileirão. He revealed that the player apologized to the squad after being sent off for making an obscene gesture towards the Vila Belmiro stands.

"I can't judge him publicly. I need to see the play on TV. I only know what they told me, but he made a mistake, he knows he made a mistake and he apologized to the people. He was doing well in the game, but he was being insulted insistently by a fan. At that moment, he let off steam. He can't. The fan can let off steam; the athlete, not. He ended up being expelled. Luckily, and with a lot of sacrifice, we managed to keep it 3-1. If the opponent scored one more goal, we could be in check in the match and also in the fight against relegation", said Cuca in a press conference.

Scorer of the third Santos goal in the match, number 9 put his hand to his mouth in a gesture asking for silence from a fan, shortly after the celebration. Then, Gabigol placed his left hand on his genitals.

The video referee reviewed what happened and called the field judge, Rafael Klein, to review the move. In a few seconds, Klein decided to be expelled and showed the red card directly to the Peixe player.

"We are playing good football, even in defeats. We are playing well, with close proximity, shortening spaces, gaining rebounds and triangulating from the sides. The fans are satisfied with the games, but not with the results. It's a matter of time", added the coach.

About the match
Santos opened the scoring with Miguelito, in the first half. After the break, the team led by Cuca went to the net with Barreal and Gabigol. With the result, the São Paulo team jumped to 15th position, with 21 points. Jair Ventura's Vitória, in turn, is in 12th place, with 22.

With the break for the World Cup, Peixe will return to the field on the week of July 22nd (Wednesday), against Botafogo, at Nilton Santos, for the 19th round of the Brazilian Championship.

Vitória, on the other hand, has the finals of the Copa do Nordeste ahead of them. The first game against Fortaleza is scheduled for next Tuesday (2), while the return game will be on the 6th.

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Source: CNN