Captain returns: Rafinha to back Massis’ plan to pay wages | OneFootball

Rafinha begins a new chapter of his story at São Paulo this Tuesday (27). After being the captain of the Copa do Brasil victories in 2023 and the Supercup in 2024, the former right-back accepted Harry Massis Júnior's invitation and starts his journey as an executive at the club he claims to support.

The first action of the former number 13 in his new role is quite straightforward: he will be the guarantor for Massis in the plan devised to finally resolve the issue of delayed payments to the players.

As the president himself admitted on Sunday (25), while the salaries are up to date, the problem at Tricolor lies with image rights. The club even tried to address the situation at the beginning of last year by paying the athletes' rights through issuing invoices. But it seems that the management of the predecessor Julio Casares managed to get even more entangled in the schedule of obligations.

According to AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR, Massis took over finding a discrepancy in this aspect. Some players are two months behind on their rights, while others are four months behind, especially the foreign players, who cannot easily formalize the opening of a company in the country to obtain a CNPJ to issue invoices as a legal entity.

The plan of the São Paulo president, already evaluated and approved by Rafinha, is 'new year, new life'. In other words, all the arrears from the previous management will be parceled out and spread throughout the year, to be paid along with the salaries. This while Massis promises the payments to be strictly on time. At least until May.

Rafinha knows he will have to take on the role that during his playing days belonged to Carlos Belmonte, the director of football who left in October, receiving kind words from the former right-back on social media.

It's important to note that, despite the fair criticism from the fans towards the former director, the squad always trusted him on financial matters. As a rule, even though it wasn't correct, Belmonte never let three months of arrears pass.

Rafinha, as captain, was one of Belmonte's main interlocutors with the group. He knows exactly how the modus operandi of his now friend and advisor was, with whom he has been speaking in recent days and received good references about Massis to decide to accept the invitation.

And the title of the position now occupied by Rafinha, manager, differs from that used by Muricy Ramalho, precisely due to the increase in responsibilities. The former coach could not or did not want to get involved in financial matters. Something that the former right-back will not only have to do but has accepted. He will be Massis's guarantor. Just as Belmonte was for Casares.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.