Barra Funda shake-up: Luiz Gustavo out despite Crespo's wishes | OneFootball

São Paulo informed Luiz Gustavo in a meeting last Wednesday (10th) that his contract, valid only until the 31st, will not be renewed.

The departure of the 38-year-old midfielder ends a two-season stint, during which he became a silent reference within the squad, even though he played only 60 matches and scored six goals.

Recovered from a pulmonary thromboembolism that sidelined him for almost six months, he returned to the pitch in October and quickly regained his spot among the starters, being the only player in the squad to start each of the last seven matches in the Brazilian Championship.

Although some club reporters claim that “the player wanted to stay,” AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR has different information.

Earlier this month, we revealed that the veteran had coach Hernán Crespo as the only voice advocating for his stay. There was internal discontent from the board due to his statements on the Maracanã pitch after the 6-0 defeat to Fluminense.

The Argentine manager remains one of the player’s biggest supporters, seeing him as a positive leader both on and off the field for the squad.

According to information initially reported by the portal ‘Globo Esporte’, Luiz Gustavo, even at 38, has decided to continue his career. AMT had already anticipated that he would look for a new destination.

The opinion is the same as the board’s, which seeks to rejuvenate the squad and save money. And since Luiz Gustavo’s contract is ending, it’s a case of killing two birds with one stone and taking advantage of the situation. The internal plan is for the club to use young names from the roster for the position, such as Negrucci and Hugo Leonardo, the latter having spent the year recovering from surgery.

The report found that Luiz Gustavo wants a change of scenery, exhausted by the situation at São Paulo. His outburst on the field, although supported by the rest of the squad, was a clear sign of his exhaustion with the situation the club went through this year.

The board noticed the change in the player’s attitude. That’s because right after his health issue, Luiz Gustavo talked about renewing for at least three more months due to the affection he received from the fans. Things started to sour when the CBF changed the calendar and scheduled the start of the next Brazilian Championship for January. The board said they would only renew his contract for another full season, but the player backed out of his initial plans.

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