Diniz works magic with Rayan at Vasco, another talent shines | OneFootball

The relationship between Fernando Diniz and Rayan began immediately, right from the first training session. The coach made a simple request to Vasco's young striker: take the ball, charge into the opponent's box, and stop inside the goal. Rayan completed the task. From that moment on, a partnership began that changed the course of the Cruzmaltino season and placed the striker among the top players in Brazilian football in 2025.

In an interview with ge given in October, Rayan recalled the episode that marked the start of the turnaround in his career.

– In the first training session, he gave me a drill to take the ball and drag it all the way into the goal. I took the ball, almost got inside the goal, managed to drag it. Then he said I was a great talent and had a chance at the National Team. After that, he opened my mind — said the striker.

Rayan joined Vasco at the age of six and has been part of the professional squad since 2023, when he was brought up by Maurício Barbieri. However, he did not get a run of games that year and returned to the youth team, mainly due to a lack of opportunities under Ramón Díaz. In 2024, he started getting chances again with Rafael Paiva, but was unable to establish himself.

One of the most memorable moments of last season was his sending off in the second leg of the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals against Athletico-PR. By January 2025, the striker had scored only three goals in 41 matches, numbers considered low for a player in his position.

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Rayan and Fernando Diniz celebrate Vasco’s victory — Photo: Thiago Ribeiro/AGIF

Starring Role in 2025

The scenario changed completely with the arrival of Fernando Diniz. Although Rayan had already scored three goals at the start of the season, he was not yet a unanimous choice for the starting lineup. With the new coach, he took on a leading role in the team and established himself as Vasco’s main offensive reference.

In just seven months, the striker went from being seen as just a prospect to becoming the main player in the squad. Rayan was named the breakout player of the Brazilian Championship and finished as the top scorer in the current edition of the Copa do Brasil.

His increased value was reflected off the field as well. At the start of the year, Vasco would only accept offers above R$ 100 million for the striker. Now, after renewing his contract last Friday, Rayan’s release clause is set at 80 million euros, an amount close to half a billion reais.

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Rayan celebrates Vasco’s goal against Internacional — Photo: André Durão / ge

Track Record of Increasing Value with Fernando Diniz

Rayan is not an isolated case in Fernando Diniz’s career. The coach is known for maximizing athletes’ potential, especially young players, and for reviving experienced players throughout his career.

At Fluminense, Diniz was responsible for revitalizing names like Ganso, Felipe Melo, and Marcelo, as well as developing players such as André, Martinelli, Arias, and John Kennedy. André and Arias, Libertadores champions in 2023, were sold to Wolverhampton for more than 40 million euros, bringing around R$ 250 million to the Rio club.

At Vasco, the coach is doing similar work with Philippe Coutinho. Recently, Diniz revealed that the number 10 had even considered retirement before his arrival at São Januário.

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John Arias, Fernando Diniz, and Germán Cano, from Fluminense — Photo: André Durão

Stints at São Paulo and Athletico

At São Paulo, one of the longest stints of his career, Diniz became known for transforming youth academy players, which brought significant financial returns to the club. Antony was the main example. In an interview with ge in 2021, the striker — now at Real Betis — credited the coach for one of the main developments in his career.

Besides Antony, players like Gabriel Sara, Igor Gomes, and Brenner also stood out under Diniz’s leadership. Combined, the direct sales of these players brought around R$ 200 million to São Paulo’s coffers.

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Fernando Diniz Antony São Paulo — Photo: Reproduction

The story of Bruno Guimarães with Diniz began back at Audax-SP, when the midfielder was promoted to the professional team at age 16. Later, the two worked together again at Athletico-PR, where Diniz converted Bruno from an attacking midfielder to a defensive midfielder. The player was sold by the Paraná club for 20 million euros and later generated another R$ 50 million in revenue from future transfers.

With Rayan, Fernando Diniz repeats a familiar script: he identifies potential, gives confidence, and transforms a prospect into a protagonist, both on the field and in the market.

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