Founded in 1924, Athletico won its only Brazilian Championship title 20 years ago, exactly on December 23, 2001. A feat celebrated as the starting point of the association in the Brazilian football scene.
In an unlikely decision, in which Athletico eliminated favorite São Paulo (with Kaká on the field) in the quarterfinals, and São Caetano overcame another strong candidate, Atlético-MG (de Marques and Guilherme in attack), in the semifinal , the people from Paraná won.
For Eugênio Machado Souto, 73, coach Geninho, the achievement rewarded the club’s level of organization and structure, something unusual in Brazilian football at that time. Two years earlier, in 1999, Athletico had inaugurated the Alfredo Gottardi administrative and technical center, known as CT do Caju, in Curitiba
In an area of 220 thousand square meters, with four fields with official measurements and the other with smaller dimensions, a sand court, courts, weight room, swimming pools, as well as a medical center (comprised of nutrition, psychology, physiology and physiotherapy professionals) and accommodation for more than 80 people.
“The club had already started an evolution and, today, it is on a par with the big ones. The infrastructure, in 2001, was superior compared to most Brazilian teams. It was second only to São Paulo and Cruzeiro. Atlético-MG was starting with the City do Galo”, recalls Geninho, in an interview with leaf.
Before taking over at Athletico, the coach led Santos in the first half and left the São Paulo team after being eliminated by Corinthians in the state semifinal. The defeat, with a goal by Ricardinho in the 47th minute of the second half, left Geninho devastated.
“I say that in 2001, I suffered my greatest disappointment in football, in May, and in the end I had my greatest joy,” says the coach.
Geninho assumed Athletico after ten matches at that Nacional (there were 31 games in total, with 19 wins, six defeats and six draws).
Before him, Mário Sérgio, killed in the fall of the Chapecoense flight in 2016, was the commander and did not resist after four defeats (São Paulo, Vasco, Palmeiras and Fluminense) and a draw (with Santos).
The atmosphere in the locker room was terrible after Mário Sérgio criticized the posture of the cast, after the draw with Santos.
“Either Athletico ends the night or the night ends Athletico”, stated Mário Sérgio, irritated with the drop in performance on the field amid rumors about the athletes falling into ballads.
In Geninho’s debut, on September 16, Athletico beat Portuguesa and, as a result, they spent 11 games without knowing what defeat was.
Athletico finished the first phase in second place, behind only São Caetano. “The group was really abusing [nas noites]. I held a meeting with the group and showed them the newspapers. Mário made this statement, and I used it to our advantage. I told them, ‘You are the losers,’ and the group responded very quickly.”
Classified to the quarterfinals of the Brazilian [o formato por pontos corridos foi adotado em 2003], the team captain, the defender Nem, had a meeting with the other players. As a pact for the conquest, the cast asked to live at CT do Caju and leave it only with the cup or in case of elimination.
“The players stayed there for over a month, the CT is a true SPA. It was an attitude of the players”, says Geninho.
With the hottest squads, Atlético-MG and São Paulo were the favorites in the fight for the title. After dispatching the team from São Paulo, Athletico overcame Fluminense in the semifinals.
In the first game of the decision, Paraná beat São Caetano by 4-2, at Arena da Baixada. Ilan opened the scoring, and Alex Mineiro scored three goals. The ABC team took a discount with Mancini and Marcos Paulo.
With the good advantage, Geninho resorted to the motivational lecture in the lecture of the last game, at the Anacleto Campanella stadium, in São Caetano do Sul (ABC paulista).
“I talked to Suzy Fleury [psicóloga do time] and I had champion bands made. In the locker room I put it on all the athletes and said: ‘regardless of what happens today, you are already champions. It will depend on you to continue with this track”, says Geninho.
Alex Mineiro, the team’s top scorer alongside Kléber Pereira (both with 17 goals each), scored the winning goal, 1-0, and the title. Romário, for Vasco, scored 21 times and ended up as the top scorer in the competition.
Since then, Athletico has won two cups at the Sudamericana (2018 and 2021) and another at the Copa do Brasil (2019). This Wednesday (15), the team will try to guarantee another Cup in Brazil, against Atlético-MG.
The mission, however, is almost impossible after the team was thrashed by 4-0 in the first game, at Mineirão stadium. The red-black team will have to, at least, win with four goals ahead to try to take the decision to penalties, in the Arena da Baixada.
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