Rafael admits squad irritation over delays, backs Libertadores push | OneFootball

São Paulo beat Internacional 1-0 at Morumbi and secured three important points in the Brazilian Championship standings, moving away from the relegation zone. The result lifted Tricolor to 11th place with 36 points, easing the tense atmosphere after the elimination against Boca Juniors in the Copa Sudamericana quarterfinals and amid silent protests from the fans.

Despite the team’s response on the pitch, the board and squad are still dealing with the specter of delayed wages and internal political turmoil, a scenario that has sparked speculation about possible contract terminations at the end of the season. In an interview after the match, goalkeeper Rafael, one of the group’s leaders, ruled out the possibility of a mass exodus from the squad and defended the players’ commitment to the club.

“No, I’ll tell you that, since I arrived at São Paulo, the atmosphere — and I think you’ve seen it too, many times when you go there to cover the arrival of players — is very good. We understand that the club is going through financial difficulties, political difficulties, because of this political issue this year, but we are focused on winning matches, and our frustration this week was because of the elimination, because we really wanted to secure that spot in the semifinal,” he said.

The São Paulo goalkeeper also spoke openly about the club’s financial issues, but stressed the approach taken by management and the squad’s effort to generate revenue through sporting results.

“Of course, everyone likes and deserves to receive their wages on time, but I see that São Paulo has been working very hard to resolve these issues, and those of us inside the club have been very focused on getting results, because we know it is through results, through full stadiums and by, for example, qualifying for the Libertadores, that we will generate even more revenue for the club. And then one thing leads to another. But as for that, the group is very good. Dorival has wonderful leadership of the team, and everyone there is working hard and doing their utmost so that we can deliver the São Paulo that the fans want. And I’m sure we will be able to do that with a lot of hard work,” he concluded.

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