Bild reports on Rafinha's return to his youth club Coritiba after nearly 20 years. Rafinha, the former Bayern star, announced his return to Coritiba, fulfilling a promise he made nearly two decades ago. He conveyed his commitment to the club by expressing his intent to fulfill the promise he made when he left almost 20 years ago. The right-back has signed a contract with the Brazilian second division team and is set to join them in January 2025, following a three-year stint at São Paulo. Rafinha expressed his delight at the prospect of returning to help Coritiba reach the level it deserves, emphasizing the emotional connection he feels to the club that discovered him.

Rafinha, a former full-back for Genoa and Bayern Munich, did not reach an agreement for a contract renewal with Sao Paulo, where he played for the last three seasons. Following the example of other great champions who have recently returned to Brazil, Rafinha decided to end his career where it began. He has signed with Coritiba.

Rafinha's contract with São Paulo will not be renewed at the end of the year. Coritiba has expressed interest in signing Rafinha and has already made contact to negotiate an agreement. Rafinha had initially been planning to retire after the Paulistão and transition into a coaching career, but he reconsidered this decision to start a new season that he would not complete. Consequently, São Paulo respected his decision not to extend his contract by three months. Coritiba is aiming to finalize the transfer by the end of the year to bring Rafinha back to the club where he began his career.