Cristiano Dresch accuses Santos of ‘estelionato esportivo’ and questions Peixe signings | OneFootball

Cuiabá president Cristiano Dresch accused Santos of ‘estelionato esportivo’ and questioned their transfer spending, citing rivals with debts still active in the market. He argued clubs with financial arrears, naming Santos and Vasco, could remain in Série A.

A day earlier, the CNRD of the CBF ordered Santos to pay R$ 18.6 million, specifically R$ 18,616,377.46, to Cuiabá over the 2023 signing of defender Joaquim and the sell-on from his 2024 move to Tigres in Mexico.

The agreement was later renegotiated into five instalments, and only the first was paid, with the dispute taken to the CNRD in May 2025. Santos can still appeal to the Centro Brasileiro de Mediação e Arbitragem.

Dresch also challenged the scale of recent investments, pointing to arrivals such as Arthur and Everton Cebolinha and a salary figure of around R$ two million per month. He suggested such signings influence the table, referenced a win in Belém against Remo, and said they would stay in Série A, while questioning how Mirassol would feel.

He called for tougher sporting penalties for non-compliance, saying transfer bans are insufficient and that points deductions should apply, citing Corinthians and Santos as hypothetical examples.

Santos said in a statement that the case is being handled in the proper forums and that public airing does not help resolution. The club reaffirmed its commitment to meeting obligations within planned timelines and processes, and noted receivables of about R$ 170 million at the start of 2026. It argued inter-club indebtedness is a structural issue in Brazilian football.

Joaquim joined Santos from Cuiabá in February 2023, initially for about three million euros, with further rights bought after a contractual target was met. He moved to Tigres in July 2024 for around eight million dollars and remains with the Mexican side. He made 66 appearances for Santos, scoring six goals.

Source: Diario Do Peixe

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