Post-Party São Paulo After New Blood

All four titles up for grabs - the Paulistão 2008 (São Paulo State Championship), Brasileirão 2008 (Brazilian First Division), the Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana - will be demanded by the management next year.

The 2007 experience showed that there's a need to strengthen a squad that's a little threadbare in some areas - and can suffer from the accumulated problems posed by injuries, suspension and transfers - so the aim is to ensure that Muricy Ramalho has ample room to manouvre.

The first moves have been made as right-back Joílson has been brought in from Botafogo to cover the gap that was left after Ilsinho was snapped up by Shakhtar Donetsk in July, and another Botafogo man may arrive in the shape of centre-back Juninho.

The idea is to pre-empt any problems as current first choice Breno is being sounded out by both Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, although neither European great has made a concrete proposal as of yet, especially as Alex returns from a loan but Muricy Ramalho doesn't appear to want the back back.