Rafinha is Barra Funda's new boss, São Paulo split: insider or novice | OneFootball

Sporting manager Rafinha has emerged as one of the names being considered by São Paulo’s board to permanently take over the club’s football department following the dismissal of executive Rui Costa. Although the former player is leading the department on an interim basis, the progress of his work over the next few days will determine the possibility of him being confirmed in the role.

The Tricolor leadership has not yet drawn up a definitive plan for Rui Costa’s succession, which keeps the situation open.

According to reporting by AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR, several names from the market began to be discussed and sounded out by the São Paulo board in recent hours, alongside this observation period of the current manager.

The most obvious problem is that no well-regarded name in the market would accept the job for only six months, which is all that remains in Harry Massis’s current term, with an election at the end of the year as he seeks reelection.

One wing of the president’s supporters, however, has already been pulling strings behind the scenes and pushing for a statutory club figure to take over duties at Barra Funda.

The option, dismissed by Massis months ago, is now gaining strength, since the president needs political support for his ambitions in December.

The internal restructuring process is taking place at a strategic point in the season. Even with the changes in the department, São Paulo remains active in the transfer market: the signing of forward Victor Sá has already been completed, while negotiations for center-back Arthur Chaves are still ongoing.

At the same time as he was looking for reinforcements, the director was also working to trim the squad. Last week, for example, names such as Cédric Soares and Luan were placed on the list of players to be released, in a move aimed at creating room on the wage bill and adjusting the group for the rest of the season.

For some time now, Rui Costa has been insulted, challenged, and criticized by the fans in every setting, whether in the stadiums, on social media, or even on trips with the squad, by both the organized supporters’ groups and ordinary fans.

It is the same president, Massis, who last May guaranteed that he would not dismiss Rui Costa from the executive position despite the heavy pressure.

“As long as we remain aligned with the Football Department and convinced of the project we have been working on, Rui Costa and Rafinha will stay with us. We know we need to return to the Libertadores next season, and we will work toward that,” Massis told UOL.

At the beginning of June, São Paulo’s Ethics Committee filed a request for Rui Costa’s dismissal for failing to hand over contracts in an investigation involving former director Carlos Belmonte.

If the president was unable to keep Costa, Rafinha remains in the role. The sporting manager arrived in January, is not at risk, and will be the football department’s ‘strong man’ until a new professional arrives to take charge of São Paulo’s signings. The name should be discussed with coach Dorival Júnior, who is putting ‘his stamp’ on the squad.

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