Eyeing re-election, Massis outlines youth, club changes, R$10m cost | OneFootball

São Paulo president Harry Massis Júnior held a meeting on Thursday (16) with the independent niche press that covers the club. AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR was present, and we bring you everything the president said in the conversation, which could not be recorded at the request of the press office.

Massis addressed the strategic guidelines for the Cotia Player Development Center, transfer market activity, and the transition in the first team’s coaching staff. The president reaffirmed that the main purpose of the youth academy remains supplying talent to the professional squad, but admitted that the club’s difficult financial situation makes it necessary to sell assets earlier than planned.

As a reflection of that scenario, Massis noted that the club sold seven players over the last year and acknowledged that weak cash flow prevents the institution from holding firm in negotiations to demand higher fees, unlike rivals in more stable financial positions.

Restructuring in Cotia and Allan Barcellos’s departure

On the administrative side of the youth academy, the executive confirmed a broad internal restructuring, marked by staff changes and the hiring of coach Júlio Baptista to lead the Under-20 team, with the aim of bringing international experience to the sector.

Massis also revealed the background behind former youth coach Allan Barcellos’s departure:

Financial factor: The coach accepted an offer with more favorable terms from Palmeiras;

Internal strain: Statements made by Barcellos in January, in which he hinted at the possibility of taking over the first team, damaged his relationship with then first-team coach Hernán Crespo during a period of sporting instability for the side.

Self-criticism over Crespo and confidence in Roger Machado

When analyzing the change in the first team’s coaching staff that took place in March, when Hernán Crespo was replaced by Roger Machado, Massis offered some self-criticism regarding the planning. The president backed the need to dismiss the Argentine coach, but acknowledged a mistake in the timing of the decision.

The board’s dissatisfaction with Crespo intensified because of the coach’s public remarks at the start of the season, when he set the club’s top target as simply reaching 45 points in the Brazilian Championship. “How is he going to motivate a player if he’s saying the team only needs 45 points?” the president asked.

Despite the friction during the transition, the president said he is fully convinced about the hiring of Roger Machado, revealing that he consulted executives from other clubs before finalizing the deal.

Administrative restructuring, dismissals, and political landscape

Regarding internal management, the president said that the plan to dismiss employees and leaders within the board structure, at the Barra Funda training center, in Cotia, and at Morumbi had an impact of more than R$ 10 million in severance costs.

Massis defended the measures and highlighted the decision to keep financial director Sérgio Pimenta and legal director Érica Duarte because of his professional trust in them and the integrity of the processes they have conducted.

Regarding former football executive Rui Costa, who was dismissed the previous month, the president explained that he had opposed the reinstatement of center-back Robert Arboleda and said he chose not to carry out mass dismissals in the football department immediately after taking office so he could evaluate staff performance in practice.

Finally, in the club’s political and institutional landscape, Massis spoke in favor of an administrative separation between the social club and the professional football department. With an eye on the election scheduled for December 2026, the executive did not rule out running for re-election, noting that any potential candidacy will depend on the makeup and coordination among the tickets that form the support base of the current administration.

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