CRUZEIRO FOOTBALL CLUB HAS BEEN IN THE SPOTLIGHT RECENTLY AS IT GEARS UP FOR THE 2025 SEASON WITH A SERIES OF SIGNIFICANT PLAYER SIGNINGS AND UPDATES. ONE OF THE MOST TALKED-ABOUT EVENTS WAS THE CONFIRMATION OF GOALKEEPER CÁSSIO’S MOVE TO GRÊMIO, WHO HAS MADE A NAME FOR HIMSELF AT CRUZEIRO AFTER SPENDING OVER A DECADE AT CORINTHIANS.
AT 37 YEARS OLD, CÁSSIO HAS A LONG AND IMPRESSIVE CAREER. ORIGINALLY FROM VARANÓPOLIS, RIO GRANDE DO SUL, HE SIGNED WITH GRÊMIO IN 2006, WHERE HE MADE HIS PROFESSIONAL DEBUT. AFTER A STINT IN EUROPE WITH PSV AND A LOAN TO SPARTA ROTTERDAM, HE RETURNED TO BRAZIL IN 2012 TO JOIN CORINTHIANS.
WITH CÁSSIO, CRUZEIRO HAS GAINED A SEASONED PLAYER WHO HAS BEEN ESSENTIAL TO THE TEAM'S DEFENSE, STARTING 28 MATCHES SINCE HIS ARRIVAL. "I HOPE TO BRING JOY TO THE CROWD HERE AT CRUZEIRO, LEAVING MY CHILDHOOD LOVE FOR GRÊMIO ASIDE FOR NOW," CÁSSIO SAID ABOUT HIS MOVE.
ANOTHER HIGHLY ANTICIPATED SIGNING FOR CRUZEIRO IS YOUNG MIDFIELDER CHRISTIAN, WHO JOINED FROM ATHLETICO-PR FOR €2.7 MILLION. THIS MOVE HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS A DREAM SIGNING FOR CRUZEIRO AS SEVERAL OTHER CLUBS EXPRESSED INTEREST IN THE TALENTED 23-YEAR-OLD.
CHRISTIAN, WHO HAS KEY EXPERIENCE UNDER CRUZEIRO’S CEO ALEXANDRE MATTOS AND COACH FERNANDO DINIZ FROM HIS TIME AT ATHLETICO, HAS EXPLAINED HIS EXCITEMENT: "I'M THRILLED TO BE AT SUCH AN IMPORTANT CLUB IN BRAZIL AND LOOK FORWARD TO A SUCCESSFUL JOURNEY HERE." HE WILL OFFICIALLY BE PRESENTED AT A FUTURE EVENT IN MINAS GERAIS.
IN JULY, CRUZEIRO ALSO MADE HEADLINES FOR THEIR RECENT PURCHASE OF VOLANTE WALACE FROM UDINESE FOR AROUND R$ 36 MILLION, SIMILAR TO THE PRICE PAID BY RED BULL BRAGANTINO FOR STRIKER ISIDRO PITTA. WALACE, HOWEVER, HAS DRAWN SOME CRITICISM FROM FANS FOR HIS PERFORMANCE, PARTICULARLY FOLLOWING A SUBPAR DISPLAY IN A COPA SUL-AMERICANA FINAL.
LOOKING AHEAD, CRUZEIRO’S LATERAL-DIREITO WILLIAM HAS BEEN HONORED BY THE FOOTBALL OBSERVATORY AS ONE OF THE MOST PLAYED PLAYERS IN THE WORLD, FEATURING IN 60 MATCHES THROUGHOUT THE PAST SEASON AND SECURING HIS SPOT AS A PIVOTAL FIGURE IN THE TEAM.
AS DISCUSSIONS ABOUT FUTURE SIGNINGS CONTINUE, ROBERTO GAÚCHO HAS REVEALED THAT THE CLUB IS LOOKING TO SECURE A NEW DEFENDER FOR THE COMING SEASON, ADOPTING A VIBRANT STRATEGY TO STRENGTHEN THE TEAM'S DEFENSIVE LINES.
CRUZEIRO HAS BIG PLANS FOR 2025 AND IS ALREADY MAKING MOVES TO ASSEMBLE A COMPETITIVE SQUAD. WITH HIGH EXPECTATIONS FROM FANS AND MANAGEMENT ALIKE, IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN HOW THESE SIGNINGS WILL AFFECT THEIR PERFORMANCE IN UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS.
