Dorival's clear-out: Cédric, Luan and three more out at São Paulo | OneFootball

The return of São Paulo’s professional squad on the afternoon of this Wednesday (17) at CT da Barra Funda was marked by the absence of five players. Goalkeeper Young, right-back Cédric Soares, center-back Matheus Belém, defensive midfielder Luan, and forward Paulinho were released by the board and authorized to report at a later date to train separately from the squad. The measure comes ahead of the players’ official departures, as they are not part of the club’s plans for the remainder of the season.

The decision was backed by the coaching staff led by Dorival Júnior, who assessed that the quintet would have limited space in the second-half competitions. The board stressed that the separation is not disciplinary in nature, but strictly a strategic decision aimed at trimming the squad and reducing the club’s wage bill. The 16-day break due to the World Cup sped up the club’s internal assessments regarding squad planning.

The plan for the players’ departures varies according to the time remaining on each contract:

Contracts until December: Goalkeeper Young, center-back Matheus Belém, and defensive midfielder Luan have contracts valid only until the end of this year. Starting in July, the three players will be legally entitled to sign pre-contract agreements with other clubs and are being released immediately to look for new teams on the market.

Long-term contracts: Right-back Cédric Soares and forward Paulinho have longer deals, valid until December 2027, but they will also be negotiated. The latter on loan, in order to gain more playing time.

In defense, Cédric lost ground in the squad after the signing of Lucas Ramon and the emergence of young Moreira, who is well regarded by the coaching staff and returned normally with the main group. In attack, Paulinho, a Cotia academy graduate, faced strong internal competition and saw his opportunities dwindle after the promotion of youngster Gustavo Santana to the first team.

The restructuring is seen by the football department’s leadership as a necessary move to optimize the club’s financial resources, opening up room on the payroll for possible reinforcements with a greater prospect of playing time under Dorival Júnior.

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