The Portuguese Leonardo Jardim, the head coach of Brazilian club Cruzeiro, clarified the possibility of signing Brazilian Fabinho, the midfielder of Saudi club Al-Ittihad, during a press conference held yesterday.

Jardim's response came after Fabinho's statements in which he praised his former coach, confirming his admiration for Cruzeiro and his expectation that they will compete strongly for the Brazilian league title this season.

The former Al-Hilal coach stated: "Fabinho is a world-class player and a dear friend, and he has won major titles with the clubs he represented, but it is impossible for us to sign him because Cruzeiro does not have the financial capacity."

Jardim added: "I don't think there are Brazilian clubs capable of paying what Fabinho demands, and perhaps there is only one or two teams, but that seems closer to madness."

It is worth noting that Fabinho joined Al-Ittihad in the summer of 2023 from Liverpool and is contracted with the club until June 2026, having played 68 matches across all competitions, scoring 4 goals and providing 5 assists.