Ex-Corinthians director admits Caixa talks, opposes SAFiel | OneFootball

The negotiations involving Corinthians and Caixa Econômica Federal to resolve the debt related to Neo Química Arena have gained momentum behind the scenes in recent weeks. Amid discussions over the amount the club still needs to pay, Rubens Gomes, known as Rubão, confirmed that he has been taking part in the talks in an attempt to bring Timão and the state-owned bank closer together.

A lifetime council member and former Corinthians football director, Rubão said he is part of a kind of task force created to help with the negotiations. The official also acknowledged his ties to members of the Workers’ Party and denied that his role has anything to do with electoral interests.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Ag. Corinthians

“It’s true, I’m helping. We have a task force working to assist Corinthians, with several people engaged in this process. I have ties to the Workers’ Party (PT), after all I was part of it. Anyway, I’m helping try to resolve the Corinthians stadium issue, and this is not an election-driven move. I truly hope to help. That’s why I’m telling you that there are many things about to happen, and I hope they come through,” he said in an interview with journalist Márcio Bernardes.

The arena’s financial situation has also come under review by the São Paulo Public Prosecutor’s Office. At the beginning of September, the agency opened an administrative proceeding to determine the updated outstanding balance of the financing. The initiative came after a study prepared by expert Anísio Costa Castelo Branco, who identified possible discrepancies in the calculations, especially in the application of fines and fees.

Although reports circulated claiming that Corinthians had already paid down the originally financed amount, approximately R$ 400 million, the figures presented indicate a different reality. Much of the payments made so far appear to have gone toward interest and other obligations set out in the contract, without significantly reducing the principal of the debt.

Rubão explained that the payment model adopted during the grace period meant that the effective amortization of the principal balance only began later.

“Corinthians has not paid off what it owes Caixa Econômica Federal. It paid a significant amount, that’s true, but it has not paid the full debt. That’s because the club only began amortizing the principal owed to Caixa at the end of the previous administration. Before that, during the grace period, only the interest was being paid,” he said.

The negotiations have also come to involve intermediaries linked to the federal government. According to Rubão, the task force is seeking an alternative that would make it possible to review the terms of the deal and resume discussions that had already taken place in earlier periods.

“We’re doing everything we can to make this work. We don’t have the final decision-making power, but I’m sure President Lula has been moved by the situation. In fact, he is a big Corinthians supporter, he was moved by what is happening and asked for the terms of the negotiation to be reviewed. I believe we’ll have news soon, and I hope everything comes through. The fans say this had already been discussed at the end of the previous government, and that’s true: the parties really were negotiating at that time. The difference is that, at that moment, the agreement ended up not working out,” he said.

Despite confirming the existence of these efforts, Rubão preferred not to reveal who else is involved in the talks between Corinthians and Caixa. According to him, the caution is intended to prevent political and electoral issues from interfering in the negotiations.

“I’d rather not mention names so I don’t run the risk of forgetting anyone. Actually, I’ve been talking more with people in the government to understand the legal and institutional framework that can be put in place, because this involves a series of implications: it’s an election year and a political year, on both sides. That’s why we can’t get anything wrong at any stage. Hence the delay in the process,” he said.

The former official also stated that the concern with confidentiality increased precisely because of the political scenario.

“Because this is a political year, we’re handling everything very carefully to avoid leaks. In reality, none of this was supposed to have become public yet. Unfortunately, stories started coming out here and there saying that I’m helping. In fact, I am helping, and I’ll do everything within my power to make this happen,” he added.

While the talks move forward, Corinthians submitted a formal proposal to Caixa last Monday. The club’s idea involves the naming rights of Neo Química Arena as part of an operation aimed at reducing or settling the debt. At present, the debt is estimated at approximately R$ 630 million.

Representatives of Corinthians and the financial institution have already held meetings to discuss the proposal. The talks, however, still remain without a final decision.

Rubão criticizes SAFiel proposal

Another issue stirring Corinthians’ political environment is the SAFiel project, which proposes turning the club into a football corporation. Rubão spoke out against the initiative and questioned the existence of outside investment foreseen in the proposal.

In the former director’s view, the project would be using the strength of the Corinthians brand and fanbase to make fundraising possible without presenting, according to him, a financial contribution compatible with the operation.

“This SAFiel business is a scam. They want to work with Corinthians’ own money; they want authorization to raise funds using the club’s name. Do you need to authorize someone to raise money? That’s just talk to fool suckers. And they don’t say that; they say they have funding, but they have no funding whatsoever,” he said.

Rubão also stressed that he is against turning Corinthians into a SAF. In his view, any eventual solution to the club’s financial problems should involve the club’s different bodies and the participation of the fans in the discussions.

“Totally against it (SAFiel). Corinthians is a historic asset, it belongs to the fans, and it is the people’s team. What we need to do is bring together the board, the Deliberative Council, Cori, and the fans. The fans have every right to demand answers, and they absolutely should. But there are some points that need to be discussed with the fans and explained to them, because not everyone knows what is really happening behind the scenes,” he concluded.

Alongside Rubão’s criticism, Corinthians has already begun a more detailed evaluation of the proposal presented by SAFiel. Last Wednesday, members of the project were at Parque São Jorge for a first in-person meeting with club representatives. The meeting lasted approximately four hours.

After the meeting, vice president Armando Mendonça said there had been progress in the conversation, but pointed to doubts about the legal aspects of the operation. As a result, the official prepared a list of 105 questions that must be answered by those responsible for the project before any further progress.

At the end of last month, president Osmar Stabile had stated that he would be willing to sign a binding document if SAFiel presented sufficient funds to pay off the debt of Neo Química Arena. The move would pave the way for the continuation of negotiations.

Shortly afterward, those responsible for the project sent a letter to the Corinthians president, accepting the condition presented by Stabile. In addition to reiterating the commitment related to the stadium payment, the group requested a new meeting with the Corinthians board to discuss the next steps.

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