Rui Costa and Crespo shield squad from crisis, Casares to speak | OneFootball

As was to be expected, the crisis that has struck São Paulo president Julio Casares, who will undergo an impeachment process in the Deliberative Council, inevitably became an internal topic among the professional squad during the preseason ahead of the start of the Campeonato Paulista, next Sunday (11), against Mirassol, away from home.

According to information gathered by AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR from internal sources within professional football, Rui Costa, the strongman of São Paulo’s football department, made sure to speak with the players, coach Hernán Crespo, members of the coaching staff, and new employees, including members of the medical department.

The goal was to shield the entire staff from the club’s negative news regarding the accusations against Casares.

Crespo, in fact, also personally spoke with group leaders to establish a pact of protection.

Three sources interviewed by the report, one of them a player from the squad, revealed that the conversation aimed to reassure Crespo and the players and guarantee that nothing that was planned or promised would be changed because of what is happening in the club’s political sphere.

São Paulo’s CEO, Márcio Carlomagno, is one of the few members of management with free access to the squad.

It is not known who (or they didn’t want to reveal who), but it was even mentioned that the pressure from the fans has been minimized, as it is now focused on the board. In any case, an employee with access to the locker room told the report that squad leaders even met with organized fan groups to ensure that the heightened tone would not spill over onto the players.

AMT heard from employees that measures will be taken for the Paulistão at Carlomagno’s behest, to further isolate the squad from the crisis. The main one, worth noting, is that access for council members, card-holders, and influential members, whether from the situation or opposition, will be more restricted in areas where players and coaching staff circulate during games at Morumbi. For now, only those who work at Barra Funda will accompany the delegation to away games.

Communication between Morumbi and Barra Funda will also be more limited. The communications departments at both locations will maintain constant conversations to align positions and publications. But that’s almost all. Costa will deal directly only with Carlomagno regarding finances and internal planning, such as travel.

But what about Casares?

Obviously, the president will also maintain free access to the players and the Barra Funda training center. It couldn’t be otherwise, since it’s part of the office’s protocol. The professional football workplace, by the way, where the team begins the final stretch of preseason this Wednesday (7), will continue to host a kind of ‘alternative office’ where the president can continue working.

The last time Casares was mentioned, let’s say, ‘officially’ to the squad was on Friday (2), at the team’s return, when his desire to win the Campeonato Paulista was cited as a way to improve the club’s finances and atmosphere, of course.

There’s a message in the air that with the return to Barra Funda, Casares will meet with players and staff to convey calmness. It’s not known when, but it should happen before the Paulistão opener.

Crespo is said to have considered the president’s plan positive. He is also acting to minimize the impact of the crisis on the team during this crucial preparation period for the year. As soon as some players complained about the pitches at Cotia, he arranged the return to the training center. And to further increase tranquility, he accepted the players’ request to be allowed to return home after activities so they could be close to their families. Anything goes to keep the club’s bitterness from contaminating the football.

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