Rio Ave President Sheds Light on Andre Luiz’s January Transfer Saga

According to a report by the media outlet Gazzetta.gr, Brazilian winger André Luiz, currently playing for Major League Soccer side Sporting Kansas City, was the subject of a widely covered transfer saga involving his then-club, Portuguese side Rio Ave, and Greek club Olympiacos. The Portuguese side’s president has now shed light on the situation.

Alexandrina Cruz, the President of Rio Ave, explained in an interview to the Portuguese newspaper “A Bola” why the player was sold to Olympiacos and not to fellow Primeira Liga side Benfica. As per the article, the President was reported to have said that the transfer of a player is not only dependent on financial offers on the table, but also on factors such as additional clauses and terms.

During the interview, Cruz said, “It is relatively easy to talk about what you do not know. A deal involves three parties. The selling club, the buying club and the player himself. Not everything that is published corresponds to the reality of the events, nor is everything that is said always true.” 

As reported by the newspaper, the President also made it clear that Rio Ave did not have any problems with Benfica, and the deal with Olympiacos was agreed upon because all parties thought that that was the best possible solution to the situation. She also said that the Brazilian is a very good and important player, and condemned the people who criticised the situation. She said, “André Luis is a very valuable player, who was acquired during the era of the football company SAD. This criticism shows ignorance of how the transfer market works.”

It is interesting to note that the former Flamengo graduate and Estrela da Amadora player played just 8 Super League Greece fixtures for the Red and Whites after joining them during the winter transfer window of 2026. He left Greece and moved to the United States of America in August of the same year on a five-year deal.

The young winger has enjoyed a good start to life in the USA, having netted 3 goals in a mere 4 league games, and if he can keep up his form, it will be interesting to see whether he gets further opportunities to play in European football. Given his age and the time he has in hand, it will not be surprising to see André Luiz move back to Europe if his development continues at the current pace.