Part 3/7:
The timing of Pedro Martins’ appointment raised eyebrows—coming just days before the start of the season—and he inherited a significant backlog in pre-season preparations. The CEO noted that the club needed to evaluate its situation closely, particularly regarding players on loan who might return. However, it seemed clear that players like Soteudo and Morelos did not fit into Santos' immediate plans and would only report back to training if there were no incoming proposals for their transfer.
Moreover, it was described as troubling that Santos would commence the season with a squad primarily composed of players from the previous year's second division team, indicating a lack of robust planning.