Breaking: Caboclo quits, Marcelinho to be São Paulo opposition pick | OneFootball

Amid intense behind-the-scenes pressure and the erosion of his support base following a recent interview, lifelong council member and former CBF president Rogério Caboclo officially withdrew his pre-candidacy for the São Paulo presidency.

The decision was announced in a letter released this Saturday (15), in which the executive justified removing his name in favor of unifying opposition groups.

Despite the change of course, Caboclo argues that the move is meant to strengthen the building of a political alternative for the election scheduled for December.

“I have decided not to move forward with building my candidacy for the São Paulo presidency. This decision does not represent distancing, retreat, or any reduction in my commitment to the club. On the contrary: it stems from the understanding that, at this moment, the unity of the opposition must come before any individual project,” he says.

With Caboclo’s official exit from the presidential race, São Paulo’s main opposition groups sealed an agreement and defined the makeup of the ticket that will run in the December election. The negotiations resulted in an alliance led by Marcelinho Portugal Gouvêa, who will have council member Carlos Sadi as the vice-presidential candidate on the executive ticket.

The decision solidifies the rapprochement among different political currents and draws support from the group led by Olten Ayres de Abreu Júnior, president of the Deliberative Council. The arrangement strengthens the opposition by bringing together major figures from the club’s political life and management to compete for control of Tricolor.

Ticket Structure and Division of Positions

The distribution of candidacies for the club’s collegiate bodies was outlined as follows:

President of the Executive Board: Marcelinho Portugal Gouvêa

Executive Vice President: Carlos Sadi

President of the Deliberative Council: Fábio Mariz

Vice President of the Deliberative Council: Caio Forjaz

Nominations to the Board of Administration: Flávio Marques and Daurio Speranzini

Reorganization of the Political Landscape

The unification of the groups puts an end to the uncertainty caused by Caboclo’s pre-candidacy and creates a cohesive opposition bloc. The presence of names such as Fábio Mariz and Caio Forjaz on the Deliberative Council ticket, along with the nominations of Flávio Marques and Daurio Speranzini to the Board of Administration, signals a strategic move to ensure governance and representation in Morumbi’s main decision-making centers.

With the ticket formalized, the opposition now turns its focus to winning votes among the 260 members of the Deliberative Council (160 lifetime members and 100 elected), while awaiting the outcome of the votes on the Bylaws Reform to define the campaign’s final guidelines.

Defense of His Track Record and Institutional Diagnosis

In his withdrawal letter, Caboclo sought to emphasize his administrative experience in Brazilian football — citing his time on São Paulo’s own financial board between 2000 and 2002, as well as leadership positions at the Paulista Football Federation (FPF), the Organizing Committee for the 2014 World Cup, and the presidency of the CBF.

According to Caboclo, his political role will remain active in internal debates, with the aim of addressing what he describes as a moment of fragility for Tricolor:

“The shortage of new leaders who are firm and truly called to the role, like those who marked the Club’s singular trajectory in other times, has contributed to the loss of reference points, institutional weakening, and the difficulty of building a consistent and lasting project,” he writes.

Reaffirming that his institutional commitment to the club remains “more than a candidacy,” Caboclo ends his statement by placing his experience at the club’s disposal to restructure Tricolor’s finances and governance amid the financial crisis currently facing the institution.

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