Rui Costa staying, says São Paulo chief: Massis backs plan, rues chaos | OneFootball

São Paulo’s fans will not rest until they manage to force executive Rui Costa out of the club. But president Harry Massis continues to play hardball with the Tricolor supporters and once again guaranteed the director’s stay at Tricolor.

After the still inexplicable replacement of Crespo with Roger Machado in charge of the team, the latter has already been dismissed following heavy pressure from the fans and poor results on the pitch. The main targets of São Paulo supporters now are Rui Costa and Rafinha. But Massis is standing firm.

“I chose to believe in the project that was presented to me. Rui and Rafinha understand what it means to work at São Paulo, they know the club’s current difficulties, and we work day and night to change this situation. The early elimination from the Copa do Brasil is unacceptable, and we all know that. We have to adjust some internal issues to get back on the path of victories,” the Tricolor president said in an interview with UOL.

“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 remain with us. We know we need to return to the Libertadores next season, and we will work toward that,” Massis added.

Among so many current controversies at São Paulo, the political chaos at the club is one of the biggest concerns for the fans. And the president admits it.

“São Paulo’s main problem today is political instability. That is why I am working harder and harder to try to change this scenario. What I will never accept is people putting personal interests above those of the institution. No one is bigger than São Paulo. We went through an impeachment process in January, we are in an unstable moment, but São Paulo cannot stop, we have urgent issues to resolve.”

“My leaked audio, for example, was an outburst in a private conversation, but even that ended up being politically exploited. I deeply regret it. We want to encourage dialogue between the parties and restore internal peace. The schedule will follow the normal procedures, and the elections will not be brought forward,” the president explained, dismissing rumors of a change in the date of the club’s elections.

TICKET SALES COULD CHANGE

Harry Massis also spoke about a possible change in the company responsible for ticket sales at Morumbi, currently handled by Total Acesso. São Paulo is in talks with different names in search of the best offer.

“As with all contracts, we are looking to increase revenue and secure better conditions for the club, while also, of course, improving the fan experience. We opened a bidding process, received proposals from several market players, and will try to reach the best possible terms. Yes, there is a possibility of renewing with the current provider, but the new contract will be signed with the company that presents the best offer,” the Tricolor executive assured.

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