Football Season Guide

Avai FC

In


Vladimir (gk) Santos – on loan; Lucas Frigeri (gk) São Caetano – on loan; Glédson (gk) América RN; João Vítor (def)( Fluminense – on loan; Alex Silva (def) Atl. Mineiro – on loan; Ricardo Thalheimer (def) São Luiz; Julinho (def) Consadolle Sapporo, JAP; Jonny Mosquera (mid) America de Cali; João Paulo (mid) Tombense – on loan; Gegê (mid) Adana Demirspor, TUR; Douglas (mid) Grêmio; Dudu (mid) Inter de Lages – return from loan; Lucas Falcão (mid) Inter de Lages – return from loan; Feliciano Brizuela (att) 3 de Febrero, PRY – on loan

Out


Aranha (r)(gk) Released; Kozlinski (sp)(gk) Atl. Goianense; Rubinho (sp)(gk) released; Guga (r)(def) Atlético Mineiro; Airton (r)(def) Ponte Preta – on loan; Alemão (r)(def) Al-Hazm, SAU; Capa (r)(def) Vitória – on loan; João Paulo (sp)(def) CRB; Tiago Cametá (sp)(def) Vila Nova; Judson (k)(mid) San Jose Earthquakers, USA; Renato (k)(mid) Chapecoense; Martinuccio (sp)(mid) CD Mostoles, SPA; Menezes (sp)(def/mid) Cruzeiro RS; Lucas Chapecó (sp)(mid) Tombense; Marquinhos (r)(mid) retired; Rômulo (k)(att) Al-Dhafra, UAE; Rodrigão (r)(att) Coritiba; Maurinho (sp)(att) Ferroviária; Guillermo Beltran (sp)(att) Deportivo Santaní, PRY; Rafinha (sp)(att) Cafetaleros, MEX

The team from Santa Catarina is back at the top flight two years after. They are back thanks to a steady season in 2018. Some less enthusiastic moments, like the four defeats in six games in September or the slow final five rounds, almost gave away what was an otherwise very tidy run. There was a big reshape of the squad, with many important players from last season going elsewhere: the entire back-four plus the keeper(s), but most noticeable the key midfielders Renato and Judson as well as the attackers Rodrigão and Rômulo. There was obviously a good amount of players arriving, but very few should make an immediate impact. The pedigree from Italian football on Jonny Mosquera and the unquestionable talent of the aged playmaker Douglas are the ones that will definitely add something to the squad. The key players for the upcoming season may be the ones that got this team promoted, though. The attacking foursome has been quite impressive during the first months of 2019: João Paulo, Pedro Castro, Daniel Amorim and particularly Getúlio are names to keep an eye on. Nonetheless, the team seems very vulnerable if a couple of those key players miss out. The fact that almost half the squad is on loan doesn’t help either.

Target


Avoid relegation only. Avaí won’t be aiming for anything higher than those places just above the red line.