Rafinha returns to São Paulo, reveals new role: "We seek trouble" | OneFootball

After the president Harry Massis confirmed on Sunday (25) that Rafinha is returning to São Paulo, the former right-back announced his return to his beloved club this Monday (26), after terminating his contract with Rede Globo, where he worked as a commentator following his retirement.

As he explained, he will be the new technical director of Tricolor, a role similar to that held by Muricy Ramalho, who left the club last week due to health issues. In his official announcement, the club defined him as the new 'sports manager, who will work daily at the training center with the main squad'.

“Muricy is irreplaceable, he deserves all the respect in the world. I will not replace him; I will make this transition as a technical director, the link between the management and the squad on a daily basis. I will not engage in this politics, shield that training center, and that will be my role starting tomorrow,” Rafinha detailed during the Seleção Sportv program.

The new Tricolor employee joked about returning to his home, football, saying that ‘when everything is calm, we look for trouble’.

“São Paulo, of all the big clubs, is the only one not just focusing on football, considering everything happening off the field. Once again, when I announced my retirement, I am coming to say goodbye again, which is a challenge for me. I thank everyone at Globo, it was eight spectacular months, but my home is football where I lived most of my life. When everything is calm, we look for trouble.”

“It’s a good kind of trouble, when São Paulo calls me, it’s a call to action. It’s a time for those who love trouble, challenge, and helping São Paulo. We know it’s a very difficult year for São Paulo, because of everything that’s been happening, because of everything that happened with those in charge of the club. But that part doesn’t interfere, of course, it does interfere, but on one side there has to be a barrier until it reaches football,” Rafinha continued.

PUTTING OUT CRESPO'S FIRE

“This speech we saw, which I followed over the weekend from Crespo, the statements, of course, even being hot-headed, we lose a classic, sometimes the statements aren’t what he wanted to express at that moment, of course, it affects and worries the fans, it worries a lot. Now, this constant discourse, the politics, the police, if we keep focusing on this aspect of the club’s politics, which is living within the club, the players don’t even need to enter the field.”

THE NEW ROLE

“I think my role will be, not will be, it has to be, to keep the players focused only on football. This part, the management, the conversation I had with the president, and with the football department, with Rui Costa who is in charge. The first part is to get things in order as it’s already being done, they’ve already made agreements with the players, so they will pay what’s overdue. The agreement is underway, it will be communicated to the players this week.”

“Everything at this moment doesn’t help, it’s the Paulista Championship schedule, it’s the Brazilian Championship schedule, so it’s a moment that, as we can say, we have to focus on football, which is what we have to do for the São Paulo club, is football. So football cannot be attacked, and football has ceased to be a priority in São Paulo, since last year it has ceased to be a priority. Political interest, interest in other forms, and football has ceased to be a priority.”

HOW TO GET OUT OF THE CRISIS?

“From the moment football is a priority, the club begins to restore itself, begins to move forward, São Paulo fans never abandoned, and at this moment they will not abandon, which is the moment it’s most needed, and there is no savior, one swallow does not make a summer. Now, I know the squad, I know who comes into command, I know all the employees, so I think there is a path, at least the willingness, the attitude of the players and employees to, at this moment, come together, embrace each other, because in São Paulo the embrace has to be genuine, for the club to get out of this situation.”

“And how do you get out of this situation? It’s football doing well, it’s winning, the players gaining confidence, and then things start to improve. Of course, sometimes victory masks everything. But I think this process of focusing only on football, forgetting this political part, I think it’s already a start, it’s a good path for us to chart this season.”

TRAJECTORY AT SÃO PAULO

Champion of the 2023 Copa do Brasil and the 2024 Supercopa Rei as a right-back and team captain, the former player defended São Paulo’s colors between early 2022 and late 2024, when he decided to move to Coritiba – the club where he started and finished his career as an athlete.

After the second stint with the Paraná team, Rafinha was hired as a sports commentator for the Globo group, performing the role until this return to São Paulo.

For Tricolor, he fulfilled the dream of playing for his beloved club for three seasons: he played 117 games, scored one goal – in the victorious Copa do Brasil campaign, against Palmeiras, at Morumbi, in the quarter-finals –, provided five assists, and was elected the best right-back of the Paulistão (2022), in addition to being part of the Copa do Brasil Selection (2023).

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