All-action! Rafinha takes new São Paulo role: “I feel ready” | OneFootball

Rafinha is São Paulo’s new football executive. The former 40-year-old player is leaving his position as sporting manager and will now permanently lead the department — a role he has already been carrying out since Rui Costa’s departure a little under a month ago.

“I have been watching Rafinha’s daily work since he took on this new responsibility. He was a great athlete and leader, and he added a lot as sporting manager. Now, in this new role, he has been doing a great job leading São Paulo’s football department, not only because of the experience he gained throughout his career, but also because of all his connections in the football world,” said president Harry Massis Junior.

“I see this new role as another challenge, and I feel very well prepared. The experience I have here at São Paulo, both as a player and during this period as sporting manager, and everything I have lived through in more than 20 years in football give me great confidence to lead the club’s sporting project,” said Rafinha.

“In addition, I have been working to improve myself through management courses. We have a highly qualified team on and off the pitch, a great structure, and a lot of confidence in what lies ahead. Our task will always be to put São Paulo at the very top together with our supporters, who are the most important part of this giant club,” added the executive, now in his new role.

Captain of Tricolor during the Copa do Brasil (2023) and Supercopa Rei (2024) triumphs, Rafinha brought his successful playing career to an end last year at Coritiba and joined São Paulo’s board in January 2026.

São Paulo’s new executive is studying sports management at the DFB Akademie (German Football Association) and is also taking FIFA’s club management course.

Rafinha will have legal support from Felipe Carvalho, the club’s lawyer since 2020, who is taking on the role of sporting legal manager.

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