Tondela-Moreirense, 2-0 – Vasco Botelho da Costa, the head coach of Moreirense, addressed the media after his team’s 2-0 defeat to Tondela on Monday, May 11, in the 33rd round of the I Liga. In a candid press conference, he admitted his side failed to show up for the contest.
“It was a poor game. Poor start, poor finish. Poor throughout, poor at the beginning of the first half, poor at the start of the second half. We didn’t come to compete. We knew we were facing a team fighting for survival, battling for every ball with everything they had, and we just came to see what the game would give, thinking we’d eventually win.”
Botelho da Costa took full responsibility, acknowledging he couldn’t get his team mentally prepared. “It’s my fault. Somehow, I couldn’t flip the right switch in the team. I can’t even go into tactical analysis now, even though Tondela has improved under Gonçalo Feio, who has an interesting idea and tries to play.”
He was blunt about his team’s performance. “With all due respect, I think we simply didn’t exist. We didn’t compete. One team ran more than us, competed harder, won more duels, was more alive and focused than us. The game is lost, and we’re lucky it was only 2-0. I want to apologize to the few fans who came – this is not our image.”
The coach stressed that this defeat is a crucial learning moment. “Today’s game is very important for our growth, to realize that these moments of the season must be handled differently, perhaps, by the coach and his staff. The feeling is one of great sadness, because this is not what we were throughout the season.”
Looking ahead, Botelho da Costa emphasized the need to improve and refocus, as the team must quickly recover from this setback. The defeat leaves Moreirense reflecting on a performance far below their usual standards.