Costas: “We Cannot Abandon the Championship”

Gustavo Costas arrived at Cerro Porteño with only 48 hours to assess the squad, speak with youth players and choose a team for the match against Libertad. After a 1-1 draw in his debut, he made one point clear: he does not intend to give up the Clausura championship.

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We cannot abandon the championship, I do not want to abandon the championship.

“We cannot abandon the championship, I do not want to abandon the championship,” Costas said. His immediate task is complicated by the club’s recent results, including elimination from the cup and a defeat in the clásico. He said experienced players must now help pull the team through the difficult period.

Costas also wants to shape Cerro Porteño’s longer-term squad. His plan includes recovering players already in the team, deciding who can remain and paying close attention to the academy. He pointed to his previous spell at the club, from 2005 to 2007, when he said he helped promote several young players.

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We are going to do all of that: a clear-out on one side, then assess those who are here and those who are useful. We will pay close attention to the academy.

“We are going to do all of that: a clear-out on one side, then assess those who are here and those who are useful. We will pay close attention to the academy,” he said. He acknowledged that the club has many problems to solve, but said he accepted the job precisely because of the challenge.

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I am going to work 24 hours for the club.

“I am going to work 24 hours for the club,” Costas said, while also asking for support from every part of the institution. “We need support, we are not going to get out of this on our own,” he added. “That is why I came. Maybe if things had been going well, I would not have come. I like these challenges.”

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We need support, we are not going to get out of this on our own.