The Future of Gabigol and the Impact of Betting on Football

Pedro Lourenço, the boss of Cruzeiro’s SAF, gave a quick update on Gabigol, who is on loan to Santos until the end of the year. In short, he said that there have not been any talks with Peixe about the striker’s future, who has been leaving his mark with 21 goals and 10 assists in 42 matches this season. And his contract with Cruzeiro runs until 2028, so the story is still far from over!

Gabigol: What’s Coming Next?

Lourenço commented that, for now, it’s only possible to talk about it after Gabigol returns to Cruzeiro. “He’s on loan to Santos, so we’ll have to wait. Up to now, we haven’t discussed it with them,” Pedrinho revealed during an event in the Government of Minas Gerais.

Goodbye, Betting Sponsorships

A topic that really worried Pedrinho was the recent ban on online betting companies in Brazil, announced on Friday (25). Cruzeiro could lose its main sponsorship with Betnacional, and he didn’t hide that, without that money, football is going down the drain.

Talking about the transfer window right now is complicated, because with all this mess, “you can’t even think about it. We’ll need a total replanning. Without that money, football becomes unfeasible,” he said.

Support from the Government of Minas Gerais

On Tuesday, the Government of Minas Gerais announced a support plan for clubs affected by the ban. The state’s three biggest teams—Cruzeiro, Atlético-MG, and América-MG—will receive a total of R$ 32 million in support due to the end of betting. Raposa and Galo will each get R$ 15 million, while Coelho will receive R$ 2 million.

Signing On the Spot?

Lastly, Lourenço talked about the attempt to bring Paulinho, a Mirassol executive, to Cruzeiro. “We’re going after it. We know it’s not easy, but we’re hopeful we can resolve it soon. The position is the least of it—what matters is what’s good for football,” he concluded.

So, how do you see all this unfolding in Brazilian football? Stay tuned for the next news and keep an eye here on the blog at classificacaogeral.com.br!