Cruzeiro hand first professional deal to academy gem
· Yahoo Sports
Cruzeiro officially signed, this Friday, the first professional contract of another promising academy player: goalkeeper Diogo Minelli. At 17 years old, the player signed a deal that keeps him at the Minas Gerais club until May 2029.
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The Goalkeeper’s Journey at Toca da Raposa
Minelli has had a long path through Cruzeiro’s youth ranks, playing for the Under-13 and Under-15 teams before reaching his current challenges:
2026 Season: Although he is part of the Under-20 squad (for which he has played one match this year), Diogo has been heavily used with the Under-17s, totaling 10 appearances in the category. The player took part in the Brazilian Under-17 Championship, the Under-17 Copa do Brasil, and the Minas Gerais Under-17 and Under-20 Championships.
Major title: In 2025, the goalkeeper was part of the Under-20 squad that lifted the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior (Copinha) trophy, securing a second straight title for the club.
Strengthening the Academy and Transitioning to the Professional Team
The professional signing of youngsters like Diogo Minelli reflects Cruzeiro’s current strategy: to develop and make use of its own talent in the first team, now managed by Artur Jorge.
This bet on “Cria da Toca” is already a reality in the current squad, with three major success stories:
Otávio (Goalkeeper): He took over as starter after Cássio’s injury and delivered such reliable performances that the board halted the search for a new name for the position in the transfer market.
Kaiki (Left-back): He got his first chances in 2022, took off in 2025, and is now on the radar of European clubs, even having appeared on coach Carlo Ancelotti’s preliminary list for the World Cup.
Kaique Kenji (Forward): He has been earning more and more minutes and the trust of the coaching staff in the senior team.
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