RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Renato Portaluppi has vowed to lead Gremio to their former glory as he begins the task of earning promotion to the country's top division.
The 59-year-old officially began his fourth spell in charge of the club on Monday, four days after agreeing to a short-term contract.
Renato replaces Roger Machado, who was sacked following the club's 2-0 defeat at Criciuma.
"There are 10 games left and the objective is to return to the elite, to get back to the Serie A," the former Brazil international forward told reporters.
"That's why I'm here. I know 90% of Gremio's group. I know the club like the back of my hand. I'm sure we'll work hard so that we can make the fans happy. No one deserves to return to Serie A more than us. That's the goal."
Gremio, who were relegated for the third time in their history last December, are currently third in Serie B and trail leaders Cruzeiro by 12 points.
Renato also had spells in charge of the Porto Alegre outfit in 2010-11, 2013 and in 2016-21. The highlight of his managerial career to date came in 2017, when he led Gremio to the Copa Libertadores title, South America's premier club trophy.
"The motivation to get back to the top flight is what brought me back. Our fans have suffered a lot but we are going to try to give them a Christmas gift. We need the support of all the fans. Gremio will rise again and with this group we will return to the Serie A." ■
