Santa Cruz hires Raphael Rezende as scouting consultant

Santa Cruz has announced the hiring of Raphael Rezende as a consultant to assist in restructuring its scouting department for the 2027 season. Rezende, who previously served as head scout and market coordinator at Botafogo between 2022 and 2026, will focus on improving market analysis, monitoring, and athlete evaluation processes.

Rezende’s tenure at Botafogo included involvement in building the squads that won the Campeonato Brasileiro and the Libertadores in 2024. At Santa Cruz, he will work alongside professionals such as executive Eduardo Freeland and future CEO Thairo Arruda. His role aims to modernize the club's market intelligence by identifying undervalued talent through data and technical prospection.