'Lucas Ribeiro chapter closed' - Miguel Cardoso | OneFootball

Photo: Lucas Ribeiro Costa

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso says the club has moved past the Lucas Ribeiro era after the Brazilian talisman left the club.

The 26-year-old prematurely ended his Chloorkop stay through the FIFA Football Tribunal, citing the Diarra Law. Ribeiro joined Spanish second division side CyD Leonesa after successfully terminating his Downs contract with three years left.

Now, the Sundowns boss insists the reigning Betway Premiership champions have completely moved on from the player who was central to the team’s overall play in the last two seasons.

“Lucas Ribeiro chapter for us in the team, the players and the coaches, it’s closed long time ago. We don’t relate on his presence a long time ago, we don’t count on him to play and train for a long time since he left. We are focused on the future,” said Cardoso.

“Regarding his presence on the pitch and the adaptation the team had to do to find the right relation between the players and to relate with his absence – that’s another thing. “It’s like in a family when someone dies, nothing stays the same.

"The relations between people change a lot and there needs to be a reorganization of the dynamics in what we have to do that was done by someone else and now we cannot do things the same way because he is not here.

“It becomes even more difficult when you face a context where you don’t train because you don’t exercise the relation, you just gather the guys [players] – MD-1, let’s see what tactical approach we can have on the match.

He continued: “You cannot even put intensity because the guys are still recovering, and we have to play. Sundowns will return to action with a Carling Knockout Cup round of 16 clash against Marumo Gallants at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday.