Novorizontino chief: good chance Rômulo plays in decider | OneFootball

Rômulo has "a great chance" of strengthening Novorizontino in the second leg of the Paulista Championship final against Palmeiras, according to president Genilson Rocha. The director commented on the possibility of the club having the player after the 1-0 defeat in the first leg, which took place at Arena Crefisa Barueri.

The midfielder is on loan from Palmeiras to Tigre do Vale. To have Rômulo on the field against the club he belongs to, Novorizontino would have to pay a fine of R$ 1 million. For the first leg, the Novo Horizonte team decided not to spend the amount.

However, needing to chase the score, the club is considering paying the fine to have the reinforcement of the athlete who has six goals and three assists in this Paulista Championship. With these numbers, he is competing for the top scorer of the competition.

Coach says there is still no definition

Coach Enderson Moreira also spoke about the possibility of having the player. He revealed that it is still an undefined situation and that it will be resolved in the coming days. The second match takes place on Sunday, at 8:30 PM (Brasília time), at Estádio Jorge Ismael de Biasi, in Novo Horizonte (SP).

"Regarding Rômulo, we have no definition. I think in the coming days we will sit down to talk," said the coach.

Does Rômulo's presence worry Palmeiras?

Coach Abel Ferreira was questioned about the possibility of Rômulo's presence in the final and evaluated the player, who was unable to establish himself at Palmeiras. The midfielder was signed in 2024 and played only 16 games before being loaned to Ceará and Novorizontino.

"Rômulo was a player we signed two years ago due to his performance at Novorizontino. He struggled with us and at Ceará, but it seems that Novorizontino is the comfort zone where he feels good. Sometimes it has to do with the context. We tried to loan him, but he couldn't play as much as he wanted at Ceará, and Novorizontino ends up being a comfort zone for him, and there he has played well. If no one prevents him from playing. Logically, he is a player with resources, likes to play at Novorizontino, has numbers, but this is a decision for the opponent," said Abel.

Match situation

With the result of the first leg, Palmeiras plays for a draw in the second leg, which takes place on Sunday, starting at 8:30 PM (Brasília time), at Estádio Dr. Jorge Ismael de Biasi, in Novo Horizonte (SP).

Any draw or new victory for Palmeiras gives the title to Abel Ferreira's team. Meanwhile, in case of a victory for Novorizontino by one goal difference, the decision goes to penalties. To win the trophy, Tigre do Vale needs at least a 2-0 victory.

Details of the second leg

Match: Novorizontino vs. Palmeiras Competition: Paulista Championship (Final, second leg) Date and time: March 8, 2026 (Sunday), at 8:30 PM (Brasília time) Location: Estádio Dr. Jorge Ismael de Biasi, in Novo Horizonte (SP)

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