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·11 November 2025

Flamengo calls for ban on artificial pitches in Brazilian football

Article image:Flamengo calls for ban on artificial pitches in Brazilian football

CBF has been discussing the creation of a Financial Sustainability System (SSF) for Brazilian football. Following this movement, Flamengo sent its written position to the responsible committee with a series of proposals, among them the prohibition of artificial turf in Brazil.

“Plastic pitches must be immediately eliminated from all national professional tournaments. The discrepancy in maintenance costs between natural and artificial turf creates financial imbalances between clubs and harms the physical health of players and athletes,” the text states.

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Palmeiras, Flamengo’s rival in the fight for the Libertadores and Brasileirão titles, is one of the clubs that hosts its games in stadiums with artificial grass. The rivalry between the green-and-whites and the red-and-blacks increased this Monday, with the controversy surrounding the penalties of Bruno Henrique and Allan at the STJD.

In the document, Flamengo says it is actively participating in the discussions for the creation of a Brazilian model of financial fair play. According to the club, the aim with the series of proposals is to contribute to the improvement of governance and sustainability practices.

Check out Flamengo’s full document:

Clube de Regatas do Flamengo has been actively participating in discussions about the Football Sustainability System (SSF), a Brazilian model of Financial Fair Play, led by the committee established by the CBF. 

With the aim of contributing to the improvement of governance and sustainability practices in Brazilian football, Flamengo has sent its detailed written position to the responsible committee. Flamengo’s commitment goes beyond the numbers, dedicating itself to the sport, fair competition, and a Fair Play that represents the true principles of football. 

Some proposals presented by the Club: 

  • Treatment of clubs in RJ/REJ: prevent clubs from using the period of non-payment of debts (between the declaration of RJ/REJ and the ratification of the agreement) as a competitive advantage, by blocking the registration of new players during this period and imposing point deductions.
  • Broad definition of costs: control not only the “payroll” (CLT), but also the total cost of the squad, including image rights, signing bonuses, agent commissions, and taxes.
  • Blocking accounting loopholes: prevent the costs of men’s professional football from being “disguised” as investments in youth teams or women’s football through fictitious allocations.
  • Minimum cash control: implement leading indicators, such as the need for healthy working capital, to prevent liquidity crises.
  • Transactions with related parties: disregard or limit transactions between related parties (e.g., club and company owned by the same owner) that may inflate revenues or hide costs. Capital injections, for example, should not be counted as recurring revenue.
  • Use of ratings: adopt a classification system (such as those used by specialized consultancies), in which clubs with better management (higher ratings) have more leeway, creating an incentive for good governance.
  • Effective sanctions: focus sanctions on restricting transfer windows, and ensure these are fully enforced, even if the cause of the punishment is resolved, to discourage procrastination.
  • Implementation of the “Owners and Directors Test”: creation of an assessment composed of rules and criteria to determine whether new (or potential) owners and directors of a club are fit for the position. The aim is to protect the image and integrity of the competition and the clubs, ensuring that the individuals who manage or acquire clubs are trustworthy and have proven financial capacity. 
  • Effective Enforceability of the System: implement governance equipped to execute automatic sanctions, based on factual and financial data, including the application of penalties and restrictions. 
  • Prohibition of Artificial Turf: plastic pitches must be immediately eliminated from all national professional tournaments. The discrepancy in maintenance costs between natural and artificial turf creates financial imbalances between clubs and harms the physical health of players and athletes.

Clube de Regatas do Flamengo will continue to participate in the development and implementation of the Football Sustainability System (SSF), as proposed by the Brazilian Football Confederation, and already congratulates the entity for this commendable initiative.

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

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