Bruno Rodrigues cites Flamengo as Santa Cruz close in on SAF move | OneFootball

Santa Cruz, currently in Brazil's third tier, are closing in on a shift to SAF status. President Bruno Rodrigues invoked Flamengo to defend the change, aiming a dig at Luiz Eduardo Baptista, known as Bap.

"I have always defended the SAF very strongly. I have always said the only two clubs in Brazil today that support themselves are Flamengo and Palmeiras, that's it. I respect the view that Flamengo can do it without a SAF, but running Flamengo with R$ 2 billion a year is easy, with all due respect," he told Rádio Jornal in Pernambuco.

US businessman Paraj Tyle is expected to take charge at Arruda under the proposed structure. Tyle is among the shareholders of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers.

The group plan to invest R$ 1 billion over 15 years, a deal already ratified by the Deliberative Council and which could be signed soon. "The SAF is well advanced. I do not even want to recall the Minas-based SAF issues we went through last year, which were very bad for everyone, but now I think we have got it right," Bruno said.

Until last year Santa Cruz were in the fourth tier, and they are now close to returning to Serie B. They lead the third-tier final quadrangular with nine points from three matches and need at least a draw from the remaining three to go up. The first chance comes on Saturday 26, away to Floresta-CE in Fortaleza.

Source: Coluna Do Fla

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”