Marco Aurélio opens up on São Paulo job, backs election favourite | OneFootball

The doctor, former executive and current lifetime council member of São Paulo, Marco Aurélio Cunha publicly ruled out the possibility of running for the club’s presidency in the election scheduled for the first half of December 2026.

At 72, the historic figure in São Paulo’s internal politics believes that the ideal window for leading Tricolor’s Executive Branch has already passed and says he intends to work only behind the scenes, if called upon by the future administration.

In an interview with UOL published this Saturday (26) about the political landscape at Morumbi, Marco Aurélio said he has no short-term plans to seek major positions within the institution.

“That doesn’t depend on us, it depends on whoever is there. I feel proud to have spent five years in opposition at São Paulo — that tiny opposition — when people laughed, when the former president said I was against São Paulo, that I should be expelled. I heard that and it hurt, because we knew how the story would end. Once they asked me when São Paulo would get back on track, and I said: ‘only through chaos.’ Chaos is what brings about some kind of change,” the council member reflected.

Criticism of the current Tricolor model

Marco Aurélio made harsh criticisms of the long-standing mechanisms of São Paulo politics, pointing to the distribution of favors and perks among different factions as one of the key drivers of the institution’s current budget crisis.

“At São Paulo, if you please the elderly and give gifts to the younger ones, you have everything in your hands. It’s not outright wrongdoing, it’s tactics, strategy. You give a plaque to one, pay tribute to another’s deceased father, take the younger ones and give them tickets to a concert. It’s a sordid kind of politics that has pushed São Paulo toward chaos all these years,” he said critically.

The former executive pointed to the 2020 election — won by Julio Casares — as the moment when he came closest to the club’s top executive position, when he ended up being passed over within the bloc in favor of candidate Roberto Natel.

“At that moment I said I didn’t want to run, I don’t have that expectation. My golden time has passed. It was exactly in that election when it was supposed to be me, and it ended up being Roberto Natel, and we lost. That was the moment when I was in my best phase to lead São Paulo,” MAC recalled.

About a possible future return as a candidate for the position, the council member called the idea unlikely, citing his advancing age and the need for renewal in the leadership ranks.

“I hope the current elected president has the energy and quality to earn a re-election. That would already make it six years. I think I’ll be too old for that by then. There must be young people better than me. Today I’m more mature, more experienced, and I know São Paulo like few people do. But times are different now,” the doctor said.

Support for Marcelo Portugal Gouvêa

Looking ahead to the December election, Marco Aurélio declared his support for the candidacy of lawyer Marcelo Portugal Gouvêa, launched this past Friday (25) by the opposition slate “São Paulo de Volta.” The doctor praised the candidate’s conduct and made himself available to help on a voluntary basis, without demanding any formal position.

“If it’s Marcelinho, I’ll be very pleased. He has impeccable DNA, an extremely honest guy. If he lacks experience, he more than makes up for it with honesty. I prefer an honest president to a slick one. He will be that honest president and will surely have people by his side who can advise him. His father did that very well. I hope the son follows in that line. If I can help, I will. A position? I don’t want a position,” Cunha declared.

Finally, the Tricolor council member stressed that building electoral alliances in the Deliberative Council should not result in executive roles being handed to figures tied to the current administration who switch to the opposition out of political convenience.

“If Marcelo asks me for help, I will never refuse. But I’ll say it again: with whom by his side? There’s no point in putting together a coalition by bringing in people who were part of their group and suddenly became nice and came over to our side. In politics that may even work, but in the executive sphere you can’t build something with people who suddenly turned into good guys. Help out, sure, but stay at the back of the line,” Marco Aurélio concluded.

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