Author: Soorya G
After the 1-1 draw with rivals Bahia in Salvador on Sunday, in the 22nd round of the Brasileirão, Ramón Díaz gave a blunt response during the press conference, firmly expressing his concerns. Ramón then appealed to the relevant authorities to allow Vasco to play at São Januário, their home ground, with fans present. The stadium has been closed to fans since June 22, more than two months ago.
“We want to play at home, we want to play on our own pitch. All the other teams play in their own stadiums, but not us. Why? We also want to play at home, with our fans. Today, you have seen all the people who have come, many people. We want to play in our stadium” said the Argentine coach.
“End this suspension. Everyone can play in their own stadiums, but we can’t. We have enough fans to fill three stadiums; let us play at home, please!” he concluded.
On Sunday, thousands of Vasco fans gathered at the barrier and watched the draw against Bahia on a big screen in front of São Januário. Ramón approved of the attitude of Vasco’s fans.
“The Vasco fans are incredible, really incredible. This shows that it’s a great club with a great fan base. But we want to play at home, in our stadium. We could fill two stadiums with our fans. Whatever happens, we won’t be relegated, we won’t be relegated” said the coach, who also commented on Payet’s debut.
Diaz acknowledged that the Frenchman had only recently joined the team and was not yet fully fit, emphasizing the need for continued work. The coach gave the player two weeks to improve and highlighted his importance and strong presence on the pitch. Diaz also expressed satisfaction with Payet’s performance so far and predicted future improvements, highlighting the importance of his physical condition. The Vasco da Gama coach also noted Payet’s impeccable positioning and hopes he can carry that quality forward.
After the international break, Vasco will face Fluminense at home on September 17.