(photo: Disclosure/Botafogo-SP)
Cruzeiro agreed on the last details and hired Paulo Pelaipe to assist Alexandre Mattos in the football department of Sociedade Anônima do Futebol (SAF). The 73-year-old professional is at Botafogo-SP, but has already announced his decision to take on the role at Raposa.
Pelaipe has a good relationship with Mattos and was even recommended by the new football director to Pedro Lourenço, owner of SAF Cruzeirense. Together, they will be responsible for mapping the market and signing new players in the July transfer window.
Contact the portal On AttackPelaipe stated that the conversations for the agreement are flowing: “everything is underway”.
Earlier, without yet confirming the negotiations, the manager had told the reporter that working at Cruzeiro would be a great professional achievement. “Who doesn’t want to work at a big club like Cruzeiro, right?”, he said.
Cruzeiro’s interest in Pelaipe was anticipated by journalist Samuel Venâncio and confirmed by On Attack.
Changes in Cruzeiro’s football department
Pelaipe will arrive at Cruzeiro to reinforce the club’s football department, which has suffered some blows in recent days. He will be the folder manager.
The first departure was that of Pedro Martins, who accepted Vasco’s proposal to be the new football director. The professional left his position even before the sale of SAF by Ronaldo Nazário to Pedro Lourenço was confirmed.
The second was that of technical director Paulo Autuori. He announced his departure in a speech in the mixed zone of Mineirão, last Sunday (28/4), after the 3-1 celestial triumph over Vitória, in the fourth round of the Brazilian Championship.
The third member of the SAF leadership to leave Cruzeiro was Paulo André, who was acting football director. The club said goodbye to its strategy director – Ronaldo’s ‘right-hand man’ – on Monday night (29/4).
Who is Paulo Pelaipe?
Born in Porto Alegre, Paulo Pelaipe is 73 years old and has built a career with spells at several major clubs in Brazil.
The manager has a career closely linked to Grêmio. There were four spells at the club, for which he was champion of the 2001 Copa do Brasil, 2005 Série B and runner-up in the 2007 Copa Libertadores.
Other passages with cups were in Rio de Janeiro football. He was Flamengo’s football manager in 2019 and was part of the state champion group, the Brazilian Championship and the Libertadores.
In his previous spell at the red-black club (between 2012 and 2014), he lifted the Copa do Brasil and also the Carioca trophies.
Throughout his career, Paulo Pelaipe also played for Fortaleza, Corinthians, Criciúma, Vasco, Coritiba and São Caetano. He has been at Botafogo-SP since 2021.
