Athletico returns to Erechim and Fernandinho remembers historic game

After almost 20 years, the steering wheel Fernandinho will return to the stage of the fateful “Battle of Erechim”. In 2004, at the age of 19 and playing at right-back, the player scored two of the team’s three goals. Athletico in the 3-3 draw with Grêmio, at the Colosso da Lagoa Stadium, which began the defeat for the second Brazilian championship.

continues after advertising

Fernandinho, who is the only one from the current squad who was in that match, recalled Furacão’s campaign in that tournament and said that one of the factors that contributed to the runner-up finish was the team’s average age. In addition to him, names like Jadson (20 years old) and Alan Bahia (21 years old) made up the team.

“It’s normal, it’s been 20 years. Interestingly, I’m the only one who was there and I’m in the group now. But these are things that happen in football. That campaign we ran in 2004 was really cool, even surprising on a national level. We were a very young team, which is why we ended up losing that title. But these are things that happen in football and we have to take it naturally”, he said in an interview in the mixed zone, after the 1-1 draw with Juventude.

+ Check out the complete table for the 2024 Copa do Brasil

continues after advertising

Now, Athletico returns to the field of that remarkable game to face Ypiranga in the third phase of the Copa do Brasil. The duel will be this Wednesday (1st), at 6pm. The midfielder spoke about the totally different context from 20 years ago and wants the team to bring a good result to Curitiba.

“It’s a different game, a different story, opponent and competition. Now, we need to prepare ourselves in these two days and on Wednesday we will be ready to achieve a positive result. And then play more calmly when we return home”, he projected.

The match was played in the interior of Rio Grande do Sul due to a punishment from the STJD (Superior Court of Sports Justice) against Grêmio. The previous month, a fight between fans in the classic against Internacional, held in October of that year, damaged Tricolor, who would be relegated for the second time.

continues after advertising

The result was decisive for Furacão’s loss of the national title that year. Furthermore, the road map counted on refinements of cruelty for the red and black fans.

In the dispute for the cup with Santos, led by Diego and Robinho, Furacão took a 3-0 lead. With two goals from Fernandinho, an idol and player in the current squad, and striker Dénis Marques, coach Levir Culpi’s team put on another great performance.

However, the first Grêmio goal, scored by striker Roberto Santos in the 25th minute of the final stage, changed the course of the match. Two other goals, scored by the Panamanian defender Baloy and by the attacker Claudio Pitbullto the 43 and to 47 minutes, they took away the red-black hope.

Furacão’s isolated lead, with a two-point advantage, “melted” in the following rounds. Not even the 5-2 defeat of São Caetano restored Athletico’s confidence, who ended up losing to Vasco and drawing with Botafogo in the final rounds.

Santos, with a 5-1 victory over relegated Grêmio, and triumphs over São Caetano and Vasco, took the title.

+ 19 years later, Athletico returns to the “Battle of Erechim” stadium