Leonardo Jardim downplays Copa do Brasil euphoria and focuses on Santos: 'The rest is secondary'

Coach Leonardo Jardim clearly defined Cruzeiro 's total focus. The coach's statement came shortly after qualifying for the Copa do Brasil. The team beat CRB 2-0 on Thursday night (7). When asked about the club's priorities, the Portuguese manager was direct. For him, the most important thing is the next game. "Everything else is secondary at this point," he stated.

Cruzeiro is indeed enjoying a great run in two different competitions. Even so, Leonardo Jardim wants the team to keep its feet firmly on the ground. He therefore treated the upcoming match, against Santos, as a true final.

"What's most important? The game against Santos. The most important thing is the game against Santos," the coach repeated.

Jardim reveals Cruzeiro's planning

The strong emphasis on the Brasileirão, in fact, has a very strategic reason. Jardim revealed the club's long-term plan for the season. The main route to qualifying for the Copa Libertadores is the national league.

"When we think about (qualifying) for the Libertadores, we think about the championship," explained the coach of the sky-blue team.

The Copa do Brasil, however, hasn't been completely forgotten by the coach. He acknowledges that the competition is an important objective for the club. However, the focus on it will only return next week.

"We'll think about that after the draw, after we know who the opponent is and after we play the games," said the coach, in good humor.

The manager, in short, adopts a "game-by-game" philosophy for the team. His biggest immediate concern is the squad's physical recovery. He even joked about the exhaustion of long trips in Brazil. His full focus, however, is on Sunday's (10) match against Santos at Mineirão Stadium.

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