After unprecedented leap, América-MG seeks a long-lasting campaign in Libertadores

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“What I saw in América no club has,” said Mário Sérgio, in 1997. The former player, who would die in 2016 in the Chapecoense plane crash, worked as football director at Excel – a bank that also had a partnership with Corinthians. and Vitória – and was impressed with the structure of the Minas Gerais team.

Since then, similar phrases have been said by several professionals, but the team did not make the leap it was looking for on the national scene. He won the Série B of the Brazilian Championship twice, in that 1997 and in 2017, he took the Campeonato Mineiro, in 2001 and in 2016, and had a tasty conquest in the Copa Sul-Minas, in 2000, against Cruzeiro, but he lived a routine of ups and downs. down from division.

Accustomed to the yo-yo movement, América-MG entered the 2021 Brazilian Championship with the aim of staying in the Serie A. It came to seem difficult, when the placement in the table was the penultimate. However, a run in the second round – the campaign in the last half was only inferior to those of Atlético Mineiro and Flamengo – caused the usual ceiling to be broken.

More than staying in the elite, the association from Belo Horizonte finished the Brasileiro in eighth place, which gave it the right to participate in the preliminary stage of the Copa Libertadores. The team led by Marquinhos Santos – a debuting coach in international tournaments – survived dramatically, with penalty shoot-out triumphs over Guaraní (PAR) and Barcelona (EQU).

Now América-MG sees itself for the first time in the group stage of the main South American championship. It will debut this Wednesday (6), at 7pm, against Independiente del Valle (EQU), at the Independência stadium, in Belo Horizonte, broadcast on ESPN 4. In its bracket are also Tolima (COL) and rival Atlético Mineiro. .

“It’s important to be within this group stage. We achieved the main objective of América’s history. Now, we have to prepare. powerful, current state, Brazilian and Copa do Brasil champion.

“We respect the brother, who has an excellent squad, excellent work, continuity. But, at this moment, it is clear that we are living an important moment in the club’s history and we will always play looking for victory. this victory [sobre o Atlético]which would be remarkable,” added the 42-year-old coach.

He is another one to praise the team’s structure, which has a stadium, training center and a shopping center that expands its earnings. But the budget is still much smaller than the competitors. In 2021, for example, expected revenues were BRL 85 million, against BRL 401 million for Atlético-MG.

The 2022 budget ended up not being released amid a failed negotiation to sell American football to a group led by American billionaire Joseph DaGrosa. There was a signed letter of intent, and the idea was to sell 70% of SAF (Sociedade Anônima do Futebol) to the group, with a contribution of R$ 230 million that would eliminate the club’s debt.

DaGrosa noted, however, that the Botafogo and Cruzeiro agreements provided for the sale of 90% of the shares and pleaded the same. He heard no. “I, along with the entire board, had the courage to tear up a check for R$ 230 million in cash”, said the coordinator of the club-company of América, Marcus Salum, to Rádio Itatiaia. “It wasn’t the ideal marriage. Now we struggle with a lack of money.”

With no money from investors, the board looked for relatively cheap solutions. One of them was goalkeeper Jailson, who had settled with rival Cruzeiro. When former player Ronaldo took over the celestial club, however, he reviewed several of the agreements established and decided to part with the 40-year-old.

The athlete ended up becoming the hero of América-MG’s classification to the Libertadores group stage, with important saves in normal time and penalties. He said he had decided to retire and was only convinced by his wife to continue. He was awarded, as was his new club, which relied on some luck to get where it is.

“Planning needs to combine competence and luck. It’s no use having competence and not being lucky. It’s also no use having luck and not putting competence. We managed to combine both. Today, América has respect in national football because of a extremely organized work”, concluded Salum.

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