Portuguesa’s 2013 boss speaks out on ‘Heverton case’

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·20. Dezember 2025

Portuguesa’s 2013 boss speaks out on ‘Heverton case’

Guto Ferreira, Portuguesa’s Coach in 2013, Speaks Out About Historic Controversy

In 2013, Fluminense ended up being relegated on the field. However, after Portuguesa was punished for fielding the ineligible midfielder Heverton, the São Paulo team ended up dropping to Série B of the Brasileirão. For the same reason, Flamengo was also penalized for fielding André Santos, but managed to escape relegation thanks to Portuguesa’s situation.

Because of this, to this day, on social media, fans of Flamengo and Fluminense debate about ‘which of the two interfered in Portuguesa’s decision to field Heverton to avoid relegation?’. In an interview with GE, Guto Ferreira, coach of the São Paulo team in that Brasileirão, finally spoke on the matter.

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WHAT DID GUTO FERREIRA SAY?

– We had the eighth best campaign in the second half of the season. We went into the last game against Grêmio needing to concede eight goals to be relegated. And Renato (Gaúcho) only needed a draw. Grêmio wasn’t coming to play. They weren’t going to be foolish enough to come to play. We were in great form. Then came the week — actually, there wasn’t even a week. When we played Bahia, we lost the game at the very end. Heverton was in the match, he confronted the referee and was sent off after the game. I even went there to pull him away. When a player is sent off, he serves an automatic suspension and becomes available again. Then the football department needs to inform us when he’ll be judged. Actually, the legal department needs to inform the football department that he’ll be judged,” Guto began.

– We, concerned with the team, have people responsible for passing this information to us. I can’t keep track of hearings. And that week Gilberto (Portuguesa’s striker in 2013) had been punished with a two-game suspension. There was a possibility — at least that’s what we were told — that his penalty could be converted to a food basket donation for the second game. He served the automatic suspension, but a procedure was needed from the tribunal, tribunal authorization, to convert that penalty. The focus was on that: tribunal, Gilberto. With suspensions and injuries, my squad could take 20, but I only had 18 players. And Heverton, initially, wasn’t even going. Then I put Heverton in, because no one told me that, on Friday before Sunday, there would be a hearing. And they didn’t mention the hearing or what happened in it either,” he added.

WHAT ELSE DID THE PORTUGUESA COACH IN 2013 SAY?

On the field, Fluminense ended up relegated with 46 points. However, their rival, through legal action, ended up surpassing Portuguesa and Flamengo (44 and 45 points, respectively). Rubro-Negro lost points after fielding André Santos, who was supposed to serve a suspension after being sent off in the final of the Copa do Brasil and should have served it against Cruzeiro in the last round of the Brasileirão. But the left-back played in the match.

– So, great, we saved the team. On Monday, right away, we were traveling abroad. I was at the airport for a party — if I’m not mistaken, at a TV station, I don’t remember exactly which one. He calls me: “Hey, Guto, they’re saying here that a São Paulo club fielded an ineligible player and will be relegated. They’re going to lose six points.” I said: “We didn’t field anyone ineligible. Who would we have fielded?” The next day, I was already out of the country and the news broke. Then you ask me what kind of vacation I had,” Guto explained. – What we were told is that the legal department didn’t pass the information to the professional department. That’s what they told us. If I had the information, I wouldn’t have fielded the player. You can’t be irresponsible. Anything said about Heverton is my responsibility. And I respect him a lot, I respect the institution. My image, even if a bit chubby, needs to be ethically clean. That’s how my parents raised me,” he concluded.

HOW COULD FLAMENGO BE TO BLAME?

Fluminense fans claim that Flamengo ‘paid Portuguesa’ to field Heverton. However, the accusation makes no sense. After all, Lusa announced, on a Friday, that the midfielder was included in the squad for the last round of the Brasileirão.

In summary, on Saturday, Flamengo faced Cruzeiro. Rubro-Negro was only playing out the season, as they were no longer at risk of relegation. Later, on Sunday, Fluminense was relegated, but on the same day, Portuguesa fielded Heverton and ended up punished, losing points.

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