Changes and stability: Massis marks one month as São Paulo president | OneFootball

The administration of president Harry Massis Júnior completed one month last Monday (16), when Julio Casares was removed from office in an impeachment vote approved by the Deliberative Council. Days later, Massis would be confirmed as president until the end of the year following Casares' resignation. During this period, São Paulo underwent changes, renewals, and regained the much-desired stability, both on and off the field. Below, Gazeta Esportiva recalls what the first month of the new president’s administration was like.

Reorganization of Departments

Massis began a ‘clean-up’ in some sectors of São Paulo. The first dismissals came just hours after Julio Casares’ resignation. Marcio Carlomagno, who served as general superintendent and was an ally of the former president, was dismissed from his position. The same happened with Antônio Donizete Gonçalves, known as Dedé, who reached an agreement to leave the club’s social board.

The new president also considers that Mara Casares (women’s, cultural, and events director) and Douglas Schwartzmann (assistant youth director), who are officially on leave from their respective positions, are no longer part of the board. Both are subject to an internal process and are under investigation by authorities for allegedly participating in an illegal ticket sales scheme for concerts in a box at Morumbis.

(Photo: Reproduction / São Paulo)

Another notable departure during Massis’ administration was that of Muricy Ramalho from the position of technical coordinator, which he had held for five years. However, this was not a decision made by the president, but rather by the eternal tricolor idol himself, who felt he could no longer give 100% to the club. “The intensity that the position demands and that the greatness of this club deserves is incompatible with what I can offer at this moment,” he wrote in a statement.

Finally, other names who left the club were José Eduardo Martins (communications director) and Christina Massis, daughter of the current president, who held a position in São Paulo’s women’s board.

‘New’ Arrivals

To fill the vacancies, Massis, of course, began bringing in new professionals. Rafinha was the most ‘high-profile’ arrival in São Paulo’s internal transfer window. The former São Paulo captain was hired as sports manager, with the goal of being the link between the coaching staff, players, and the board. In the meantime, he played an important role in negotiations, such as Cauly’s, and helped bring peace to the club’s internal environment.

Amidst the changes, Rui Costa gained prominence. With the political chaos, the imminent impeachment, and the subsequent resignation of Julio Casares, the football executive handled the transfer market alone while Massis was still settling in, before Rafinha’s arrival.

In communications, Felipe Espíndola, São Paulo’s press officer for over 20 years, took over the position from José Eduardo Martins. During this period, São Paulo launched a new visual identity for 2026 and, with coach Hernán Crespo’s approval, began announcing lineups in tactical formation, meeting a longstanding request from fans and the press.

As for the social board, Toninho Andrade took over. The youth academy also saw changes, with the return of Marcos Biasotto, who was in the professional football department and returned to Cotia.

Meeting and Agreement with Players

In his first days as São Paulo president, Massis went to the Barra Funda training center to have an honest conversation with the players. The president wanted to get to know the players better and met with team leaders, such as Rafael and Calleri, to understand the squad’s needs and internal concerns, as the club was appearing in the crime pages.

Massis learned about the delayed image rights payments, which had already become standard practice in the previous administration. Some players had payments overdue by up to three months. Solving this issue was one of the new president’s priorities. In recent days, the board has been working on an agreement to resolve the outstanding payments with the group, splitting them into ten installments. One of the goals, in fact, is to ensure such delays do not happen again.

São Paulo as a Victim in Investigations

One of Massis’ first actions as São Paulo president was to position the club as a victim in the Civil Police investigations, which are probing possible embezzlement from the Tricolor’s coffers. The inquiry has been launched and is being handled by the Department of Police for the Protection of Citizenship (DPPC), under judicial secrecy.

The new tricolor president also promised to cooperate with the Civil Police investigations. Massis made São Paulo available to the authorities and the São Paulo Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP-SP) to provide any and all documents necessary for the investigations.

Staying Away from Politics

Massis also kept his word from his first days as president and stayed away from politics. The president has already made it clear that he does not intend to run for São Paulo’s presidency when his term ends at the end of the year.

Signings and Renewals

Under Massis’ administration, São Paulo announced the signing of Cauly, who arrived on loan until the end of the year from Bahia, with an obligation to buy at the end of the contract if certain goals are met. In addition, the Tricolor also managed to bring forward the arrival of Lucas Ramon, who had signed a pre-contract with the club and was not even being included in Mirassol’s squad.

São Paulo is also preparing a series of contract renewals, which may be announced soon. Luciano, Marcos Antônio, Sabino, and Negrucci are close to renewing with the São Paulo club. The most advanced case is that of the number 10, who is very close to sealing his stay until the end of 2028.

Stability on the Field

The stability brought by Massis’ first month in charge of São Paulo was reflected on the pitch. After a period of great pressure on Hernán Crespo with the possibility of elimination from the Paulista, the Tricolor recovered and now boasts a six-game unbeaten run, with five wins and one draw. This is the team’s longest unbeaten streak in the coach’s second spell.

Furthermore, São Paulo is in second place in the Brazilian Championship and managed to qualify for the quarterfinals of the Paulista Championship. The São Paulo team will face Red Bull Bragantino away from home, seeking a spot in the next phase. The match is scheduled for this Saturday, at 6:30 pm (Brasília time), at Estádio Cícero de Souza Marques, in Bragança Paulista (SP).

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