Rui Costa linked with Grêmio, São Paulo may lose director in 2026 | OneFootball

Amid the internal crisis over the choice of his successor as president of São Paulo, in the elections expected to take place at the end of next year, Julio Casares may suffer a major blow and have to overhaul much of his football board for the final year of his second term as club president.

This is because, as AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR revealed, besides director Carlos Belmonte, who has been confiding to his political allies that he may leave his post after being overlooked by the president in the choice of his candidate, another who is expected to leave Morumbi is football executive Rui Costa.

According to information initially published by journalist Alexsander Vieira and confirmed to AMT, Costa is being considered to take over as the strongman of Grêmio's football department starting in 2026.

It's no wonder that the executive's name is being mentioned in Porto Alegre (RS). Costa was a member of the southern club, right-hand man to Fábio Koff, their legendary director, and began his career as a football executive at their tricolor. He went through the youth categories and held the same position he currently occupies at São Paulo between 2012 and 2016.

However, his departure was far from peaceful. Criticized for the excessive number of signings and blamed for Grêmio's then losing streak, he was even threatened by fans and saw Koff's son leak audios in which he was insulted.

The ties with the Pampas, however, were never broken. And Costa, ten years later, sees his name being pointed out as the ideal figure to lead Grêmio's football by both those in power and the opposition. Yes, Grêmio will go through a political process that promises to be highly turbulent. And the name of the current São Paulo employee seems to be one of the few topics that pleases both sides in Rio Grande do Sul.

In truth, Costa's name being mentioned at the club where he started is not exactly new. In June, a famous columnist, a declared Grêmio supporter, even stated that the signing of the tricolor executive was secured by one of the many candidates for their presidency.

The 'bombshell' forced the current São Paulo executive to take advantage of the then break in the Brazilian football calendar for the Club World Cup to deny the information in several Porto Alegre media outlets. Discreet and rarely speaking publicly in São Paulo, Costa has never failed to respond to southern journalists.

“I answer as transparently as I can and I know I have to be careful with my answer, but I have a contract with São Paulo until December 2026. This contract has already been renewed once. And I have a consolidated professional project in São Paulo, which is a city that welcomed me and I have learned to love. At a club that goes beyond a contract term, because I could stay five years at São Paulo, which is a long time. And I have not received any professional offer from anyone,” said the São Paulo executive in an interview with ‘Gaúcha Zero Hora’ radio.

“If I had received one, I would give the same answer I’ve given at other clubs. When I was at Chapecoense and we finished eighth, I received five offers and one of them really got to me. I took it to the president, he authorized me to negotiate, we agreed, but what had been agreed upon was not fulfilled. And I stayed in Chapecó (SC) without earning a penny more. I can calmly say that I have not received an offer from any candidate to be Grêmio’s executive. That’s as sincere as I can be,” he added.

Not necessarily with the same words, but much more succinctly, he repeated this to AMT some time after that interview.

Costa arrived at São Paulo in January 2021, replacing idol Raí in the position. After leaving Grêmio, he worked at Chapecoense and Atlético-MG.

In fact, a feeling for São Paulo’s colors must have truly developed, since, if he stays until the end of the year, he will match the time he spent as Grêmio’s executive, which was previously where he worked the longest. If he fulfills his contract, there’s no doubt, Tricolor will be where he has spent the most time as the person responsible for negotiations and signings.

In his four years at Morumbi so far, Costa has rarely seen his name targeted by criticism or dissatisfaction. One such instance was this year, during negotiations for the defender Ruan’s stay, whose new loan from Italy’s Sassuolo was rejected because the player’s agent is his brother-in-law. But obviously, it was clear: there was no bad faith on his part.

Names like Jandrei, Nikão, and Patrick, for example, were his recommendations. But before you start complaining, it’s important to note that his closeness to Grêmio enabled the arrival of Rafinha, Alisson, and Ferreirinha.

Costa’s extreme discretion, shielded by Casares and the political figures working in São Paulo’s football, means his name is sometimes not even remembered among influential members and councilors. For this reason, he is almost never mentioned in difficult times. Moreover, he has built a bond of trust with football manager Muricy Ramalho, a São Paulo idol, gaining a certain autonomy to work alongside supervisor Michel Gazola and manager José Carlos dos Santos. A peace of mind he never enjoyed at Grêmio.

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