São Paulo started a race against time to find a coach since the announcement that Dorival Júnior will take over at the Brazilian national team. One of the biggest candidates is Luis Zubeldía, a young coach who despite his age (42) already has an interesting track record but no experience in Brazilian football so far.
The last time the club went for a young Argentine coach with no history in the country, it turned out to be a bittersweet experience. Hernán Crespo won the Paulista tournament, ending an eight-year title drought, but was dismissed five months later due to poor results in the Brasileirao.
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Luis Zubeldía might be in pole position to take over
Zubeldía comes from winning the Copa Sudamericana with Liga Deportiva de Quito, defeating Fortaleza in the final and eliminating São Paulo in the quarterfinals. His departure from the Ecuadorian team at the end of 2023 was reportedly due to a strained relationship with the front office.
In Ecuador, he also won the domestic league, something he had already achieved in 2012 when he was at the helm of Barcelona de Guayaquil. He also made a great impression in Argentina, especially with Lanús, the club where he retired as a player at the age of 23 due to a knee injury.
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Before pursuing Zubeldía, who also has experience in Spanish, Colombian, and Mexican football, the executives of the Tricolor Paulista had already inquired about Juan Pablo Vojvoda, another Argentine. However, the Fortaleza manager did not even accept to start negotiations. Meanwhile, São Paulo has already begun preseason preparation for a year that will be highlighted by the return to the Copa Libertadores, with the likes of Lucas Mousa and James Rodríguez on the squad.
