Inside Brazilian clubs’ Player Care push, from Cruzeiro pioneer to Premier League blueprint | OneFootball

Brazilian clubs are formalising Player Care to manage players’ and families’ off pitch lives, easing adaptation and protecting performance and value. The shift mirrors established European practice.

According to Globo.com, Cruzeiro centralised the role in 2022 after Ronaldo bought the club’s SAF, with João Pedro Mendes arranging housing, schools, cars, healthcare and pets for new signings. He stays close through the first month.

The Premier League has required at least one such staff member since 2022/23. Specialist Hugo Scheckter estimates annual savings of 3.5 million euros from a 15% drop in failed transfers, while noting support reduces risk rather than prevents failure.

A survey of the 20 Série A clubs found eight with dedicated staff, namely Bahia, Cruzeiro, Coritiba, Atlético-MG, Vasco, Bragantino, Santos and Botafogo. Corinthians did not respond.

Others deliver support via different structures, with Flamengo outsourcing part and Palmeiras and São Paulo spreading tasks across football departments.

Five of those eight are SAFs. Models vary, from Botafogo’s liaison role inspired by Lyon to Atlético-MG employing six specialists across academy and first team.

At Bahia, widely regarded as a reference, Ana Paula Dias has led Player Care since 2023, focusing on foreigners and handling tasks so families avoid external services, even accompanying a player’s wife to hospital during an unexpected labour while the team were away.

Proponents such as Leandro Amorim argue integrated care speeds adaptation and costs little beside transfer spend, with Brazilian clubs surpassing R$ one billion across the past five windows and Lucas Paquetá’s 42 million euro fee setting the latest record in January.

Source: Globo.com