Rui Costa exits São Paulo, no mention of Massis: “Not all joy and wins” | OneFootball

Hours after his dismissal was made official by São Paulo, the club’s former football executive, Rui Costa, released an official statement to speak about the end of his spell at the club.

In the text, the executive reviewed his journey, highlighted the achievements secured during his tenure, and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to work at the institution.

The statement drew attention because of who he thanked: the former executive mentioned Muricy Ramalho and right-back Rafinha by name — the club’s former and current technical coordinators, respectively — but left out the name of Tricolor president Harry Massis.

Rui Costa’s removal was decided directly by São Paulo’s president. The move comes at a time of strong internal turmoil, behind-the-scenes disagreements within the football department, and growing pressure from the fans.

“Cycles are naturally finite, and São Paulo Futebol Clube gave me the opportunity to carry out my professional work with passion, dedication, and commitment for nearly six years, which I did with absolute respect for the institution and its supporters.

What to some might have seemed like a simple routine was, for me, a great privilege renewed each day. Experiencing Tricolor Paulista alongside executives, staff, athletes, and historic idols, such as the great Muricy Ramalho and Rafinha, will always remind me that I followed the right path at the institution.

I was part of important and even historic achievements, but I am even prouder of the extremely difficult moments in which I took responsibility and sought what was best for São Paulo FC, doing what was right in each situation rather than what was easiest or most comfortable.

I thank the Club for this period in which I led the football department. I offer my most sincere ‘thank you’ to the supporters for backing the team throughout all this time and for actively taking part in the hard work of defending this great institution in world sport.

In football and in life, we do not always live only through happy moments and victories. And in periods of difficulty, when we face obstacles and setbacks, I recognize that the constructive criticism I received was important for proper self-reflection and for my personal and professional growth.

I leave SPFC with three trophies won: the unprecedented Copa do Brasil (2023) and Supercopa do Brasil (2024), and the Campeonato Paulista (2021), which the Club had not won in 16 years. Be sure that I will continue my career with the same principles of loyalty, respect, and professionalism that have always guided me until now.”

END OF AN ERA

São Paulo announced on Saturday afternoon (20) the departure of football executive Rui Costa, who had been in the role since 2021.

The club thanked the professional for his years of dedication and wished him success in the next stages of his career, in a very brief note published on its official website.

The decision to fire Rui, the man in charge of signings at Tricolor, was made by president Harry Massis, who gave in to the strong internal pressure being placed on the São Paulo football official and informed him of his departure.

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

The same president Massis who last May assured that he would not dismiss Rui Costa from the executive position despite the intense 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 how important it is to return to the Libertadores next season, and we will work toward that,” Massis said in an interview with UOL.

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

If the president was unable to keep Costa, Rafinha remains in his position. 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 Tricolor’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.