Cruzeiro in talks with Paulinho to strengthen football department in 2027 | OneFootball

Cruzeiro has begun talks to sign Paulinho, the former midfielder for Corinthians, Tottenham, Barcelona, and the Brazilian National Team, to join the club’s football department structure. The information about the interest was first reported by ge, which identified the former player as the board’s Plan A for a technical coordinator role.

According to reporting by Central da Toca, the club has made progress in negotiations and sees Paulinho as the ideal professional for a different profile within football management. The intention is for him to take part in planning for the 2027 season and, if possible, begin work as early as the final stretch of this year.

Paulinho currently serves as Mirassol’s football executive, where he began his career off the pitch. The former midfielder views the possibility of working at Cruzeiro positively, and talks between the parties are ongoing.

One of the main goals of the role Cruzeiro has in mind would be to establish a closer link between the board, coaching staff, and squad. The search for a professional to fill that space had already been under internal discussion for several months and gained momentum with planning for next season.

A new profile for Cruzeiro’s football department

Paulinho’s possible arrival is part of Cruzeiro’s efforts to reshape and strengthen the structure of its football department. The sector currently includes Bruno Spindel, executive football director; Joaquim Pinto, sporting director; and Rodrigo Ramos, executive manager, as well as Pedro Junio, vice president, and Pedro Lourenço, president of the SAF.

The idea, however, would not be simply to add another name to the organizational chart. Paulinho would arrive with significant involvement in football-related decisions and, according to Central da Toca’s reporting, could have autonomy in handling different matters within the department.

Bringing him in as early as 2026 would also be directly tied to planning for the following year. Cruzeiro wants the new professional to have time to get to know the structure, follow the club’s internal workings, and take part in decisions for 2027.

There is still no finalized agreement. Negotiations are ongoing, but Paulinho is being treated as Cruzeiro’s top priority for the new role.

If the deal is completed, the former midfielder would have his second job in a major off-field structure at the Minas Gerais club, now with the mission of helping guide Cruzeiro’s football operations at a time of planning for 2027.

Paulinho’s experience as an executive

The choice of the former player is also related to the path he built after leaving the pitch. Paulinho began preparing to work in football management while still an active player, taking courses related to leadership and sports administration.

In 2024, after Mirassol’s promotion to Série A, he took over as the São Paulo club’s technical coordinator. A few months later, in June 2025, he moved into the role of football executive.

Paulinho’s first experience as an executive at a top-level club ended up being marked by a historic campaign. Mirassol finished the 2025 Brazilian Championship in fourth place, with 67 points, securing a first-ever qualification for the Libertadores.

In addition to practical experience, Paulinho also invested in his professional development. In 2026, he completed the FIFA Players Executive Programme, created to prepare players and former players for leadership and management roles in football.

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