Lucca out of Copinha, Cotia striker is Crespo’s 2026 bet | OneFootball

When the young winger Lucca was registered by São Paulo for the Copinha 2026, AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR warned: he will not play in the main youth competition in the country.

As has happened before at Tricolor, recently even with Willian Gomes, the 18-year-old forward was registered in case São Paulo reaches the final stages of the under-20 tournament, always, of course, with the approval and clearance of Hernán Crespo.

The Argentine coach liked the performances of the Cotia prodigy in the last rounds of the year for the Tricolor's professional team, when the list of absentees only grew. Lucca even played as a wingback, fulfilling defensive duties very well. And he even managed to impress Crespo.

Not to mention the dazzling dribbles, which sometimes turned into magical plays with the rows of opponents the winger left behind.

Lucca was registered with the number 29 shirt by São Paulo in the upcoming Copinha – Tricolor debuts on January 4. The club's idea of having its revelation's name on the list is for if the team reaches the final stages and deems the presence of the left winger important.

He remains on vacation like the entire professional squad and will report back to Crespo's technical staff on the 2nd, to start the team's pre-season for 2026, which will be held in Cotia.

Even young, the forward also draws attention for his demeanor off the field. Unlike his more reserved teammates, he has always been articulate when speaking and won over not only the coach and management but also the São Paulo fans.

Lucca has never hidden being a fan of the club since childhood and is completely identified with the fans. Even more so after making his debut for the team and scoring a goal that secured a spot in this year's Libertadores knockout stage.

Outspoken, he also sent several messages to Crespo in post-game interviews in the youth categories (watch below), always mentioning the strength of Cotia, urging the coach to keep an eye on the youngsters.

Allan Barcellos, Lucca's coach in the under-20, is fully aligned with Hernán Crespo's staff and explained how the transition process works within the club.

“Hernán Crespo's technical staff has already been to Cotia, as happened previously with Luis Zubeldía's staff. Additionally, there are frequent visits from the youth to the professional team, either with Alan or with assistant coaches and coordinators, to maintain alignment in the transition process,” he told the press after the team's open training session this Friday (26).

“When in-person contact is not possible, communication is handled by these three professionals, all with extensive experience in athlete development, who maintain constant dialogue to adjust each stage of the process,” Barcellos added.

Lucca transitioned between the two categories in 2025. For the under-20 team, he played in 22 matches, scoring four goals. For the professional team, he played ten games with one goal scored.

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