Champion and runner-up in Series A2 of the Campeonato Paulista, Velo Clube and Noroeste are preparing to compete in the state elite in 2025 with the main objective of remaining in the first division. The competition begins on January 15th, with the two teams repeating the second division final in the first round.
In addition to renovations to the stadiums to host the state’s biggest teams, the teams have reinforced their squad by hiring players who competed in the Brazilian Championship access series, with the arrival of well-known names, such as goalkeeper Fernando Henrique, Brazilian champion and runner-up. of the Libertadores with Fluminense.
The Velo Clube, from Rio Claro, will make only its second participation in the main division of the state — the first was in 1979.
In Group D, alongside Palmeiras, Ponte Preta and São Bernardo —due to the format of the tournament, Velo does not face teams from the same group—, the club has one of the most well-known faces among the public on the bench: coach Guilherme Alves , who played as a striker for São Paulo, Atlético Mineiro, Cruzeiro, Corinthians and the Brazilian national team.
“The Campeonato Paulista is extremely difficult. Among the state championships, it is the most difficult, by far. There is no other regional that comes close in terms of difficulty. For that reason, our objective is to remain in the elite”, said the coach to Sheet.
He recalled that, with the access of Santos and Mirassol, the championship will have six teams that are part of the Brazilian Series A. São Paulo, Corinthians, Palmeiras and Bragantino complete the list.
Loaned during the second semester — when Velo had no competitions to compete in — to command Água Santa in Série D, Guilherme stated that the team from the interior of São Paulo is at a disadvantage compared to their opponents, with a squad that is still being assembled.
The team signed players with experience in Brazilian football, such as left-back Rennan Siqueira, with spells at Goiás, Náutico and Ferroviária, striker Vinicius Leite, formerly of Paysandu and Vila Nova, and midfielder Pedro Favela, who arrived from Água Santa.
“When I played, there was a financial and technical difference between the teams from the interior and the big clubs in the capital. But today it has become an abyss, it’s almost surreal,” said Guilherme.
He added that he is a fan of an aggressive style of play, with his teams pressing into the opponent’s half in search of a goal. But he recognized that, for the Paulista dispute, he will have to adapt to reality, facing stronger teams. “We have to understand that, in most matches, we will suffer. We will be attacked all the time, especially by the big teams.”
In the Northwest, the expectation is similar.
“Our main objective is to stay in the division. We’re eating on the sidelines and we hope to have an excellent championship”, said the club’s football manager, Wellington Nobre de Morais, known as Deda.
The Bauru team returns to the first state division after a 14-year hiatus and is in Group C, alongside São Paulo, Novorizontino and Água Santa. “The technical level is very high, most clubs are in national divisions, in series A and B. Therefore, we need to qualify our team, have a competitive and physically strong team.”
The first reinforcement announced by the team was the experienced goalkeeper Fernando Henrique, 40 years old, born in Bauru and fan of the club, who was in Piracicaba’s XV. “It has a very big meaning. It will be the most enjoyable team I will play for in my life”, declared the archer.
The club also invested in modernizing the Alfredo de Castilho stadium, Alfredão, by replacing the entire pitch and lighting and renovating the boxes and changing rooms. Around R$ 2.2 million were spent on the remodeling, financed by brothers and businessmen from Bauru Reinaldo and Rodrigo Mandaliti, owners of SAF (Sociedade Anônima do Futebol) who took over the club’s football in November.
Reinaldo Mandaliti estimates that the club’s salary bill should increase by more than 500% for the Paulista dispute, exceeding R$1 million.
Mandaliti stated that he is now looking for investors interested in taking on shared management of SAF. “The club will open several quotas so that businesspeople can join the model.”
He added that the association founded in 1910 would have difficulty maintaining the associative model in the coming years. “As an association, I don’t see Noroeste continuing the activities for a long time. We need to find people who can help the club.”
