A week after assuming the presidency of São Paulo amid the accusations that led Julio Casares to resign from his position, Harry Massis gathered the press at the Barra Funda CT for an informal conversation, at least in form. In terms of content, however, the topics covered quickly dispelled any light atmosphere.
With no money in hand, with image rights delayed, sponsors removed and the club at the center of police investigations, the manager resorted to a speech that mixes realism, rhetoric of internal pacification and an almost mystical appeal to the tradition of the tricolor team: faith, investment in grassroots athletes and resistance.
The metaphor chosen by the new president helps to measure the gravity of the moment. “São Paulo is in the ICU and we need to try to take him to his room,” he said.
The image doesn’t sound exaggerated. According to Massis, the club entered this ICU between 2023 and 2024, as a result of errors accumulated by different managements. Inheritance is a suffocating financial liability. Until December, when he will complete the remainder of Casares’ term, he defined his mission as “smoothing” arrears, dividing up image rights and, above all, trying not to create new debts.
In this context, the top hat adopted as his first practical measure, even though he emphasized that he did not like politics, an attempt to shield the cast. He spoke with captains Calleri and Rafael to contain the effects of the crisis within the locker room. Coach Hernán Crespo, of whom the president publicly ruled out the possibility of dismissal, is also treated as an ally at a time when the board can offer little in terms of reinforcements.
Crespo, in fact, has already made it clear that he would like to increase the squad numerically, a desire that directly impacts the lack of resources.
The solution presented goes through the base. With the team in the final of the São Paulo Junior Cup, Massis spoke of “boys asking for passage” and defended the more intense use of young people as an alternative to financial scarcity. It’s a bet that sounds less like a structured project and more like an imposed necessity.
In the political field, he tries to present himself as a transitional figure. He said he was not a candidate, he said he did not see “opposition and the situation” and preached unity to “get São Paulo out of this situation”. At the same time, he outsourced the debate to his closest allies, making it clear that he does not intend to “mess with politics”.
Still, despite rejecting the label, Massis behaved like an experienced politician throughout the meeting with journalists. He greeted everyone, called several by name, sought to create an environment of closeness and empathy, in a gesture calculated to reduce tensions, build bridges and signal openness at a time when the club lacks allies.
The ongoing investigations are another sensitive point. Last Wednesday (21), two former members of Julio Casares’ management, Mara Casares and Douglas Schwartzmann, were targets of an operation conducted by the São Paulo Civil Police.
Removed from the presidency in a vote by the Deliberative Council last week, Casares resigned from his position on the same day, just hours after the police operation.
Douglas and Mara — Julio’s ex-wife, with whom he has two children — also stopped visiting the club’s headquarters. Both requested removal from their positions after reports of participation in a scheme to illegally sell boxes at the Morumbi stadium. He served as assistant director of the youth teams, while she was director of women’s football, culture and events.
Massis acknowledged having found it strange how long it took São Paulo to officially position itself as a victim in the cases investigated by the Civil Police, something that only occurred after the operation.
He reinforced that the club will give full support to the authorities and will hire an independent external audit. The promise of transparency appears as an attempt to stop an institutional crisis that is already taking a high toll off the field, with sponsorships withdrawing and negotiations stalled.
In football, Massis turned to what he called the “faith club”. He guaranteed that there will be no relegation in the Campeonato Paulista despite the club having only scored four points in five games and that the team will qualify for the knockout stage.
For the top hat, he is “lack of luck”. He cited the classic against Corinthians, last week, as an example, as the team was winning until 44 minutes into the second half when they suffered a draw. Massis called for the resumption of Morumbis as a stronghold for the team, remembering the defeat to Portuguesa in midweek as a symbol of the current moment.
Faith, in this case, looks less like religious belief and more like the hope that the ball, at some point, will stop punishing a club that is going through one of the worst moments in its history.
This Saturday (24), the team will have a classic to try to ward off the crisis. Away from home, face Palmeiras, at 6:30 pm, for the Campeonato Paulista.
