Rafael Pontelo a headache, Sporting don’t want Brazilian to play | OneFootball

Rafael Pontelo continues to be a headache for Sporting. Despite not being in Rui Borges' plans for 2025/26, the player is also not expected to play for the lions' B team, according to Leonino. In this Exclusive, our Newspaper tells you how the green and white officials are handling the case.

According to a source close to the process, the Alvalade Club does not intend to risk using the Brazilian in its secondary team - this is because, if he plays an official game, the defender can only represent one more club this season. Since the goal is for the player to leave, it is not justified and could affect potential deals - whether on loan or a permanent transfer.

The truth is that, so far, in two matches played by Sporting in the national second division, Pontelo ended up not being used in either of them - Torrreense and Leiria. The lion's structure is currently evaluating the possibilities for the Brazilian's future, however, the situation is complicated, as there is no team interested in acquiring his services and taking the player from the green and white roster.

It is worth remembering that the Brazilian was a national champion with the Alvalade Club. Upon his arrival at the lions in January 2024, the former Leixões player accumulated only one minute on the field, counting for the Liga Portugal, thus being part of the second championship won by Ruben Amorim with the lions.

In 2024/25, Rafael Pontelo - valued at 300 thousand euros - played only eight games for Pafos, having played only 406 minutes, which were enough to win the Cypriot championship. In January, the Brazilian moved to Auda, in Latvia, accumulating 1,322 minutes in 15 matches.

Recall Pontelo's presentation at Sporting:

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