Players back Luiz Gustavo, voice frustrations at São Paulo | OneFootball

It took longer than it should have, but happened earlier than expected: Carlos Belmonte and his assistants have left the professional football department of São Paulo after the absolute chaos that ensued following the heavy defeat to Fluminense and, most notably, the explosive statements made by Luiz Gustavo at Maracanã after the match.

AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR had already revealed that Belmonte’s departure from the Barra Funda training center had been decided over a month ago, specifically since president Julio Casares ordered Marcio Carlomagno to become involved in the daily operations.

However, several factors prevented the exit from being imminent. On the part of the former football director, there was an expectation that the president would take the necessary reins. For Casares, beyond the obvious political factor of not strengthening the opposition with a name previously loyal to his administration, there was also the relationship with the players. Belmonte had an excellent rapport with the squad. Many of them only trusted the director, described by some players interviewed by the report as “a man of character and his word.”

As a rule, it was Belmonte who promised late payments and made concessions, such as shortening training camps and allowing family members access to training sessions and internal areas of Morumbi on match days.

Now, without the former director, the leadership of the professional football department will fall to Rui Costa and Muricy Ramalho, as Casares himself revealed on Friday (28th) in a press conference held after Belmonte’s departure was made official.

Costa, the football executive, and Muricy, the coordinator, have a good relationship with the players, but not the same level of complicity that Belmonte enjoyed.

In the organizational structure that had been in place for the five years of the current administration, Costa literally just followed the orders of Belmonte and Casares. Although his ideas were routinely heard, his job was basically to conduct negotiations. That’s why he rarely spoke in public, unlike what happened at other clubs where he worked.

Muricy, on the other hand, carried out technical evaluations of players, produced productivity reports, and was consulted about potential signings or who should be transferred. Most of his time was spent with the coaches, with whom he discussed performance in matches and helped observe opponents alongside Milton Cruz. As a rule, his contact with the players was much more psychological, so to speak, since his office was a true couch for venting, especially for veterans dissatisfied with being on the bench.

Now, with more power, the two will have a more active role in the day-to-day operations to “take care of the environment, listen to the players, and keep the locker room balanced.” In other words, they will need to build the same level of trust with the players that Belmonte had.

And the first task was not easy at all. It was up to Costa and Muricy to talk to the entire squad on Friday morning about Luiz Gustavo’s statements.

The interview on the Maracanã pitch carried weight because it balanced self-criticism and demands. By admitting “the mess we made today (Thursday),” he defined the players’ share of responsibility but made it clear that the problem doesn’t end on the field: “This is a club that deserves, once and for all, to start having direction and a clear plan for what we want from the beginning to the end of a season.” The midfielder also called on all levels of the club to take responsibility: “It’s time for those at São Paulo who need to step up to do so, to take responsibility. Everyone has responsibility. It must be assumed from the top down, so that this club can truly become something great in football again.”

Casares was surprised by the tone of the criticism, since the perception was that the relationship with the squad was good and that the club and players were in sync.

In the meeting, Costa and Muricy received support from the whole group for Luiz Gustavo. The two listened to complaints, aligned expectations, and reduced misunderstandings.

The players’ grievances were several, such as delays in image rights payments at a time when the club talks about surpluses and debt reduction, the lack of clear positions on internal problems, the high number of injuries throughout the season — considered abnormal by the group — and even the change of venue for the match against Internacional, which was reportedly only communicated to the players by the press (the match was moved from Morumbi to Vila Belmiro, again).

As for Márcio Carlomagno, who had already been involved in the daily routine at Barra Funda for about a month and a half, his role in planning for the next season does not seem to have changed, as he was already involved with the hope of being “one of the pillars to keep the accounts balanced” next year.

Carlomagno will continue with his duties at Morumbi and even in Cotia, as Casares explained in his press conference, which reinforces the idea that Costa will have more responsibilities regarding football.

In fact, although he is now, as a rule, the one in charge of football, the new director is not particularly admired by the players, who complained that he demanded results in some matches without even being fully integrated into the department.

Moreover, Carlomagno is seen by the players as an intruder, someone who “pulled the rug out from under Belmonte.” The former director, aware of the squad’s respect and publicly a friend of his ‘successor,’ made sure before leaving on Friday, when saying goodbye to the squad, to speak well of him to calm the atmosphere a bit.

Behind the scenes, however, the relationship between Belmonte and Carlomagno, which started well, also began to sour, with disagreements in decision-making.

This had already led to Belmonte’s decision to stop traveling with the team, which contributed to the players viewing Carlomagno with more suspicion. In fact, the former director himself confirmed part of the story in an interview with the portal ‘Fórum.’

“Casares appointed an overseer in football, Carlomagno, so I’m not going to subject myself to the ridiculousness of a delegation with two bosses. There were already a few games that I wasn’t going to,” he explained. The defeat to Fluminense then sped up the decision: “I hoped to finish the season, out of respect for the group of players, with whom I have a great relationship, but the thrashing was the last straw.”

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