Lucas Ribeiro Costa has officially signed with the Spanish second division club Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa on a free transfer.
He joined the club on a one-year deal after terminating his contract with Mamelodi Sundowns, where he played for two seasons. Ribeiro’s contract exit from Sundowns followed a fallout with the club regarding transfer disagreements. In his farewell message, he expressed gratitude to the fans, coaches, teammates, and South Africa for the experiences and support during his time at the club.
Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa welcomed Ribeiro, highlighting his career development in Brazil, France, Belgium, and most recently South Africa. Despite the contractual dispute with Sundowns, Ribeiro is now free to pursue his career in Spain and is expected to bring his attacking flair to the team in LaLiga 2.
Legal counsel has stated that while the resolution of the dispute between Ribeiro and Sundowns might take months, FIFA regulations allow Ribeiro to play for his new club without obstruction. Ribeiro has not played competitive matches this season but is expected to integrate into Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa’s squad soon.
