Domingos Duarte, a Portuguese defender, has become the sixth European player to play for São Paulo in the Brasileirão this decade. He made his debut for the club in a 1-1 draw against Coritiba on Saturday. This move has made São Paulo the club with the most European players in the Brasileirão this decade.
Rafinha, the club's director, has played a crucial role in recruiting players from Europe. He used his network of contacts to bring in players like Domingos Duarte and Aurélio Buta, who joined the club on free transfers after leaving Getafe in Spain and Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany, respectively. Juanfran, a Spanish player, was the first European player to play for São Paulo in the Brasileirão in 2019 and played 56 games for the team.
São Paulo's total of European players in the Brasileirão has increased to 17, surpassing Corinthians, who have five. The club's decision to recruit European players has been a key factor in their success.