Rui Costa and Muricy seek squad trust like Belmonte | OneFootball

It took longer than it should have, happened sooner than expected: Carlos Belmonte and his assistants left the professional football of São Paulo after the absolute chaos that ensued following the thrashing by Fluminense and, mainly, the bombastic statements by Luiz Gustavo at Maracanã after the game.

AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR has already revealed that Belmonte's departure from the Barra Funda training center was decided over a month ago, precisely since President Julio Casares decided to bring Marcio Carlomagno into the daily routine.

But factors occurred that prevented the departure from being imminent. From the former football director's side, it was expected that the leader would take the necessary reins. From Casares' side, besides the obvious political factor of not strengthening the opposition ranks with a name once loyal to his management, there was the relationship with the players. Belmonte had an excellent relationship with the team. Many of them only trusted the director, described by some players interviewed by the report as “a man of character and word.”

As a rule, it was Belmonte who promised the payment of arrears and made concessions, such as shortening concentrations and allowing family access to training and internal areas of Morumbi on game days.

Well, without the former director, the leadership of the professional football department will fall to Rui Costa and Muricy Ramalho, as Casares himself revealed on Friday (28), in a press conference given after the official announcement of Belmonte's departure.

Costa, the football executive, and Muricy, the coordinator, have a good relationship with the players, but not the complicity that Belmonte boasted.

In the current organizational chart over the five years of the current management, Costa literally just followed the orders of Belmonte and Casares. Although his ideas were routinely heard, his work was basically to conduct negotiations. Therefore, he rarely spoke in public, unlike what happened in other clubs where he worked.

Muricy, on the other hand, made technical evaluations of athletes, produced productivity reports, and was consulted about potential reinforcements or who should be negotiated. Most of his time was with the coaches, with whom he talked about performance in matches and helped in observing opponents along with Milton Cruz. As a rule, his contact with the players had a much more psychological angle, so to speak, since his office was a real couch for venting, especially for veterans dissatisfied with the bench.

Now, with more power, the two will have a more active role in the day-to-day to “take care of the environment, listen to the athletes, and keep the locker room balanced”. In other words, they will need to have the same complicity with the players that Belmonte built.

And the first mission was not easy. It was up to Costa and Muricy to talk to the entire team on Friday morning about Luiz Gustavo's statements.

The interview still on the Maracanã field carried weight because it balanced self-criticism and demands. By admitting the “mess we made today (Thursday),” he defined the players' share, but made it clear that the problem does not end on the field: “It is a club that deserves, once and for all, to start having a direction and a clear plan of what we want from the beginning to the end of a season.” The midfielder also took responsibility for all the club's hierarchies: “It's time for, in São Paulo, those who need to step up to start stepping up, to take responsibility. Everyone has responsibility. Assume from top to bottom, so that this club can really become something great in football again.”

Casares was surprised by the tone of the criticism, as the perception was that the relationship with the team was good and that the club and players were moving in sync.

In the meeting, Costa and Muricy heard support from the entire group for Luiz Gustavo. They heard complaints, aligned expectations, and reduced noise.

The grievances listed by the players were several, such as delays in image rights, at a time when the club talks about surpluses and debt reduction, the lack of clear positions on internal problems, the high number of injuries throughout the season — considered abnormal by the group — and even the change of venue for the match against Internacional, which was reportedly communicated to the players only by the press (the match moved from Morumbi to Vila Belmiro, again).

As for Márcio Carlomagno, who for about a month and a half had already been participating in the daily life of the Barra Funda training center, his role in planning for the next season does not seem to have changed, as he was already involved in it with the hope of being “one of the pillars to keep the accounts balanced” next year.

Carlomagno will remain with his functions at Morumbi and even in Cotia, as Casares explained in his press conference, which reinforces the idea that Costa will have more responsibilities regarding football.

In fact, although as a rule he is now the one in charge of football, the new director does not have much admiration from the players, who complained about him demanding results in some games without even being integrated into the department yet.

Moreover, Carlomagno is seen by players as an intruder, someone who “pulled the rug from under Belmonte.” The former director, aware of the respect from the team and publicly a friend of his 'successor,' made sure before leaving on Friday, when saying goodbye to the team, to make a good impression to calm the environment a bit.

Behind the scenes, however, the atmosphere between Belmonte and Carlomagno, which started well, also began to sour, with disagreements in decision-making.

This had already culminated in Belmonte's decision not to travel with the delegation anymore, which contributed to the players seeing Carlomagno with more suspicion. In fact, the former director himself confirmed part of the story in an interview with the portal ‘Fórum’.

“Casares appointed an overseer in football, Carlomagno, so I will not subject myself to the ridicule of a delegation with two chiefs. There were already some games I wasn't attending,” he explained. The defeat to Fluminense then accelerated the decision: “I hoped to finish the season, out of respect for the group of players, with whom I have a great relationship, but the thrashing was the last straw.”

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