Alexi Stival returns to Atletico Mineiro

Atletico Mineiro announced Alexi Stival ‘Cuca’ as their new coach on Sunday, replacing Argentine Gabriel Milito, who was sacked after the defeat to Botafogo in the Copa Libertadores final.

"The most successful coach in the club's history is back," the 'Galo' posted on its social networks, alluding to the other three times the coach was in charge of the team, with which in 2021 he won the Brasileirao, the Copa do Brasil and the Minas Gerais championship, which he had previously won in 2012 and 2013, and the Copa Libertadores, also in 2013.

In recent times, Cuca, 61, one of the most renowned coaches in Brazilian football, has had several problems due to a conviction for a 1989 rape that was pending against him in the Swiss courts.

The incident occurred in 1987, when the coach was a Gremio player and in the middle of a team tour of Europe. In late 2023, a Swiss court overturned the conviction due to procedural errors, but the coach has been the target of protests from fans, and especially feminist groups, wherever he has gone.

In 2021, those pressures led him to resign from Corinthians a week after he was hired. He took over at Atlhetico Paranaense in March this year and remained at the helm until June, when he was sacked due to poor results and was eventually relegated to Serie B in the midst of their centenary celebrations.

Cuca began his coaching career in 1998 and has since coached around 20 Brazilian teams, including some of the biggest names in the game, such as Flamengo, Fluminense, Vasco da Gama, Palmeiras, Sao Paulo, Corinthians, Cruzeiro and Santos, among others.

 

December 29, 2024