Playboy investor slams Caboclo bid, rows again with opposition chief | OneFootball

As was to be expected, the unofficial launch of Rogério Caboclo’s candidacy for the presidency of São Paulo, with the backing of Olten Ayres de Abreu and his allies, was not well received internally at the club and sparked reactions.

And one of the strongest reactions came from businessman Diego Fernandes, who gained notoriety among fans for presenting a fundraising plan for the club should it become a SAF.

On his social media, Fernandes posted the video of the meeting that took place at a dinner on Tuesday (4), where Olten appears giving his approval and support, along with members of his political group, to the name of the former CBF president. He also made sure to share his opinion on the matter.

“São Paulo fans, look at this video. It is the perfect image of why São Paulo remains stuck in the past. Years go by. Presidents come and go. Board members come and go. But the political model remains exactly the same. The same groups. The same maneuvering. The same power struggles. And, unfortunately, the same results,” he wrote.

“A political model that, for years, has concentrated power, resisted change, and continues to lead São Paulo down the same paths. The result is there for everyone to see. Debt. Crises. Transfer ban. Internal conflicts. Lack of transparency,” he vented.

A public critic of the current association-based model that runs Tricolor, Fernandes demanded modernization in the club’s management.

“While the biggest clubs in the world are discussing governance, professionalization, transparency, market intelligence, and management, São Paulo is still discussing internal politics. The fans can’t take it anymore. São Paulo needs a break from this model. It’s not enough just to change names. The way the club is run has to change. SÃO PAULO’S FUTURE CAN NO LONGER FIT INTO THE POLITICS OF THE PAST,” he added.

Playboy On Fire

But Caboclo’s pre-candidacy was not Fernandes’ only target on social media. The businessman once again traded barbs with Caio Forjaz, one of the leaders of the Salve o Tricolor Raiz group, which has opposed São Paulo’s management since the days of Julio Casares in power.

Forjaz had also used his social media earlier to publicize a manifesto against Caboclo’s name. He ended up being attacked by the businessman in the comments (see the screenshot below). The heated exchange even moved to a mobile messaging app, where the São Paulo board member called Fernandes a liar.

Fernandes and Forjaz had already traded barbs in June, when the opposition leader’s group was harshly criticized for closing ranks and voting in favor of keeping Olten Ayres as president of the Council.

The Case

São Paulo unofficially has its first candidate for the year-end elections that will decide Harry Massis’ successor as president.

As AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR revealed, a dinner held on Tuesday night (4) determined that the political group of Olten Ayres de Abreu, president of the Deliberative Council, along with some supporting factions, officially backed Rogério Caboclo, former president of the CBF.

In an official statement, Olten confirmed that he took part in a dinner at Caboclo’s residence and reaffirmed his support for the executive’s pre-candidacy to lead Morumbi.

According to Olten, the decision is the result of an ongoing process of dialogue among members of the Deliberative Council. The official dismissed the idea that the meeting was meant to seal full tickets, definitive alliances, or carve-up corporate positions, calling such versions social media speculation.

Institutional Clarifications and Defense of Debate

The official statement detailed that the participation of Cléo Prado, the club’s director of women’s football, took place exclusively under her prerogative as a board member, without representing endorsement from São Paulo’s executive board.

Olten Ayres also condemned personal attacks directed at the dinner’s participants and defended the legitimacy of internal political maneuvering.

‘Salve o Tricolor’ Group Disagrees and Puts Forward Another Name

At the same time as Olten’s move, the leadership of the political group Salve o Tricolor Paulista, made up of figures from the so-called “root opposition” to the Massis administration, issued a statement distancing itself from any eventual candidacy by Rogério Caboclo:

Disavowal of videos: The group said that content linking the opposition wing to Caboclo does not have the backing of its coordinators.

Own candidacy: The wing reiterated its intention to launch lifetime board member Marcelinho Portugal Gouvêa as the ideal name to run for Tricolor’s presidency in the 2026 election.

Understand

As AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR revealed in May, the coalition formed by the main political groups opposing Harry Massis at São Paulo met at the time and reached some conclusions.

After considering themselves betrayed by Vinícius Pinotti because of his decision to announce Rogério Caboclo’s name last weekend as a pre-candidate for the year-end elections—something that did not go over well either internally or externally—the group decided to remove the former football director from decision-making.

Pinotti himself, once an aspiring president, will now be limited to opinions and campaign financing. According to AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR, the former official reportedly acknowledged that he messed up, since Caboclo himself, the former CBF president, had no interest in running in the December election.

A committee made up of representatives from all opposition tickets was created. This group will be responsible, so to speak, for communicating the decisions made. And the first task has already been carried out: the announcement of the new contender in the presidential election.

Marcelinho Portugal Gouvêa is the son of the historic president from 2002 to 2006 and the club chief during the Libertadores and Club World Cup three-peats.

A name viewed positively by the fans and with some reach among groups of independent board members, especially the cardeais, he has orbited the opposition since 2013, when he broke with Juvenal Juvêncio, a former ally of his father. He usually appears in interviews about the club’s political and financial situation.

The name of Marcelinho, put forward by the so-called “root opposition,” made up of those who have been against the administration since Julio Casares, still depends on approval from some recent allies, including associates of Olten Ayres de Abreu, the suspended president of the Deliberative Council.

Previously, businessman Dáurio Speranzini had been treated as the main option to lead the bloc. However, the viability of his name lost momentum in the face of growing resistance among members and board members.

Members of the group admit that although Speranzini is considered prepared for the role, the political wear and tear surrounding the revelation of his name’s involvement in Operation Car Wash in 2018, when he was even arrested, made it impossible to build a competitive candidacy. Recurring criticism of the businessman behind the scenes at the club began to directly influence the electorate. A decision made at the beginning of last year by the Federal Supreme Court, however, cleared him for lack of evidence.

Controversies Involving Caboclo

Caboclo’s name was not well received on social media, precisely because of the accusations dating back to when he headed the CBF. At the time, audio of an inappropriate conversation with her was released by TV Globo. The official described his remarks as “inappropriate jokes.” He has always denied the accusations and was acquitted in court at the beginning of 2024.

The former CBF president is a lifetime board member, but not very active at São Paulo. Records of his family’s involvement with the club date back to the 1960s and his father, for example, was part of Henri Aidar’s administration at the beginning of the following decade.

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