Leila Pereira, Palmeiras president, hits back at Bap’s jibes amid Libra row | OneFootball

Amid the internal dispute within Libra (Liga do Futebol Brasileiro), Leila Pereira, president of Palmeiras, responded to comments made by Luiz Eduardo Baptista, known as Bap, president of Flamengo, on Tuesday night.

“President Bap is right when he says I have a very clear agenda. After all, everyone knows that I defend the interests of Palmeiras without trying to suffocate my opponents, that I work hard for the growth of Brazilian football, and that I honor all contracts signed by the club, including those from previous administrations,” said Leila Pereira.

Bap provokes Leila and questions Crefisa's loan to Vasco

On Tuesday night, during a meeting of the Deliberative Council, Flamengo presented its version of the fight with Libra. Bap took the opportunity to provoke Leila Pereira and questioned the loan from Crefisa to Vasco.

“I have no doubt that there is a very clear agenda. We’re talking about this Libra issue and the company she presides loaned money to Vasco’s SAF. Who here has ever borrowed money from a financial institution in their life? Does any bank ask for shares of a business that isn’t doing well as collateral, or do they ask for real assets? Your house, your boat, your apartment. Who asks for SAF shares if it can’t be paid? I heard that the last time this happened in Brazil, the Menin group bought Atlético-MG. The debt grew and there came a time when they executed it. This should be questioned, since we’re talking about Financial Fair Play in Brazil. There is an agenda, I have no doubt, and time will tell what that agenda is,” said the president of Flamengo.

The dispute between the two clubs began when the Rio club obtained an injunction in court to block the transfer of R$ 77 million from a portion of the broadcasting rights of the Brazilian Championship to the members of Libra.

Last Wednesday, on the day Palmeiras beat Vasco 3-0 in the 26th round of the Brazilian Championship at Allianz Parque, information circulated about a loan from Crefisa, former sponsor of Verdão and Leila Pereira’s company, to the Cruzmaltino. The agreement would have 10% of the club’s SAF as collateral.

Leila mocks insinuation of buying Vasco

“As for president Bap’s insinuation about the rumor that I’m buying Vasco, he can rest assured. I am not buying Vasco. In fact, I’m not buying either Vasco or Netflix,” Leila Pereira joked.

The president of Palmeiras referenced a statement by Bap in August 2014. At the time, when he was still president of Sky, a telecommunications company, Luiz Eduardo Baptista said that he could buy Netflix, the American streaming service.

“We are not competitors. But, soon, if they start bothering us, we could buy those guys in Brazil,” Bap said during a lecture at the 5th Business Marketing Forum, promoted by LIDE (Group of Business Leaders).

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.