Rui Costa signed a player a month at São Paulo, only nine became starters | OneFootball

Rui Costa has stepped down from command of São Paulo’s professional football department. Dismissed last weekend, the executive arrived at the club in January 2021, hired by then newly inaugurated president Julio Casares. And the efficiency he showed in the role may perhaps explain why his departure was applauded by a large portion of the fans.

In just over five years on the board, Costa signed an impressive 60 players. In other words, during his time in football operations—whether under a statutory director or as the sector’s main figure—he posted a striking average of almost one new athlete per month. Of those, 16 left the club before even completing the contract they had signed.

A lot for a team going through one of the biggest financial crises in its history. And more than ever, in this case quantity was far from meaning quality.

Of the 60 players signed in the period analyzed, only 16 took part in more than two-thirds of the official matches played during their respective spells, and only nine established themselves as starters in more than 50% of those games.

On the other hand, the rate of players with low minutes is significant: 20 signings played in less than one-third of the team’s matches, while 29 started in less than one-quarter of the games.

Low attacking output

The performance of the attacking department also shows below-expected indicators. Of the 32 signings made for midfield and attack, only three players surpassed the mark of 20 goals scored: André Silva, Jonathan Calleri and Lucas Moura.

The trio also leads in individual efficiency, being the only players with more than ten appearances to maintain an average above 0.2 goals per match.

The group of players who reached double figures in goals for the club is limited to four other names: Ferreirinha (20 goals), Emiliano Rigoni (14 goals in his first spell), Éder Citadin (11 goals) and Damián Bobadilla (10 goals).

The departure of football executive Rui Costa had been taking shape behind the scenes at São Paulo for months, driven by rising political pressure and the team’s inconsistent performances.

President Harry Massis had been resisting the demands of allied advisers, opposition members and sections of the fan base. However, he chose to finalize the dismissal during the calendar break for the World Cup, a strategic period that offers greater room to reorganize the football department without the immediate impact of competitions.

The executive’s wear and tear intensified after the dismissal of coach Hernán Crespo in March, at a time when São Paulo was leading the Brazilian Championship. The appointment of Roger Machado became the main breaking point in the official’s tenure. The coach remained in the role for less than two months, being dismissed after the team’s elimination by Juventude in the Copa do Brasil, which culminated in the hiring of Dorival Júnior.

The high turnover in the coaching position, added to the team’s drop to eighth place in the Brazilian Championship, intensified the questioning over how the department was being run. Another determining factor in Rui Costa’s removal was the content of his statements after Roger Machado’s departure; by publicly sharing responsibility for the hiring with the club’s top leadership, the former executive created strong internal discomfort and hastened the end of his political viability at Morumbi.

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