Author: Monojit Mandal
Santos Futebol Clube made an unexpected statement on Sunday (6), saying goodbye to coach Paulo Turra and his assistants Adir Kirst, Felipe Endres and Léo Monteiro, in an effort to improve the team’s performance. Turra’s time at Santos was surprisingly brief, lasting around a month and a half. He was hired at the end of June to replace Odair Hellmann, but his performance on the pitch fell short of expectations.
Turra had the difficult task of changing Santos’ fortunes during his brief time in charge. In his seven-game spell, the team managed one win, three draws and three defeats. Turra’s last game as coach ended in a 1-1 draw against Athletico-PR.
1-1 draw against Athletico-PR
on Saturday at Vila Belmiro.
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Unfortunately for Santos, their poor performance in the Campeonato Brasileiro has left them in a perilous 16th position, with relegation becoming a dreadful possibility. To save the season, the club’s management concluded that a change in leadership was needed.
Before joining Santos, Paulo Turra was the coach of Athletico-PR, where he led the team to the Paranaense title at the start of the season. His record as a player and coach was praised and he received the affection of the soccer community.
Turra, who was born on November 14, 1973, in Tuparendi, Rio Grande do Sul, had a successful career as a defender at clubs such as Cianorte, Cascavel, Caxias and Guarani. He also had the honor of representing Brazil’s U-20 team.
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Turra began coaching in 2009 as an assistant coach at Cianorte before going on to similar jobs at Cascavel, Caxias and Guarani. His coaching skills began to stand out in 2016, when he took over as head coach of Cianorte and led the team to win the Paranaense Championship in 2017.
Turra was considered one of the most promising coaches in Brazil due to his dynamic and attacking style of play, as well as his ability to develop new talent. His skills were also recognized when he worked as an assistant coach at prestigious clubs such as Palmeiras, Cruzeiro, Grêmio and Athletico Paranaense.
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Realizing that the team couldn’t afford to be without a coach at the height of the season, Santos immediately found a replacement for Paulo Turra. Uruguayan Diego Aguirre has become Santos’ new coach. He signed a contract until December 2023. The 57-year-old specialist has been a coach since 2002. He has already managed three Brazilian teams: Internacional in 2015 and 2021, Atlético Mineiro in 2016 and São Paulo in 2018. His last place of work is the Olimpico in Paraguay (Asunción).