Lucca out of Copinha, Cotia striker tipped by Crespo for 2026 | 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 country's main youth competition.

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 release 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 increased. Even as a wingback, fulfilling defensive duties very well, Lucca played. And he even managed to impress Crespo.

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

Lucca was registered with the number 29 jersey by São Paulo in the upcoming Copinha – Tricolor debuts on January 4th. The club's idea in 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 preseason for 2026, which will be held in Cotia.

Even young, the forward also draws attention for his off-field demeanor. Unlike his more timid 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 fully 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.

Unfiltered, he also sent several messages to Crespo in post-match interviews in the youth categories (watch below), always mentioning the strength of Cotia, for 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 previously happened 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 an open team training session this Friday (26).

“When face-to-face 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.