Santos closed the deal on Wednesday (20) with Juan Pablo Vojvoda, former Fortaleza coach, as the new Peixe commander. The club held a virtual meeting with the coach after deciding not to hire Jorge Sampaoli. Sampaoli made several demands to accept Santos’ proposal. The club even compromised on some points, agreeing on salary bases, termination clause, and the signing of reinforcements.
The negotiations with Juan Pablo Vojvoda progressed after Santos felt that Sampaoli went too far by requesting more than ten players to be removed from the current squad, including newly promoted youth talents like Robinho Jr, Souza, and Gabriel Bontempo. In addition, the Argentine demanded a $60 million investment in new players.
The Santos president, Marcelo Teixeira, was pleased with the talks with Juan Pablo Vojvoda. According to the board, they sought a coach who was experienced, demanding, and able to work in harmony with Neymar—bringing out the best in the number 10 and the whole team without creating unnecessary conflicts.
The choice also had the approval of the football executive director, Alexandre Mattos, who considered Vojvoda the best option. The director, who had already worked with Jorge Sampaoli at Atlético-MG, believes that the new coach fits the club’s current moment. Santos is expected to announce three more signings in the coming days.
Juan Pablo Vojvoda signed a contract with Santos (Photo: Baggio Rodrigues/AGIF). Contracted by Fortaleza in May 2021, Juan Pablo Vojvoda remained in charge of the club for five seasons, three of them complete, playing 310 games, with 145 wins, 77 draws, and 88 defeats. During this period, he won the Campeonato Cearense three times (2021, 2022, and 2023) and the Copa do Nordeste twice (2022 and 2024). The Argentine was dismissed after a period of instability with the team in the Brazilian Serie A relegation zone.
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