Urgent: Massis wins as São Paulo council rejects all reforms | OneFootball

São Paulo’s Deliberative Council fully rejected all items in the bylaw reform.

All proposals, divided into 12 thematic blocks, were defeated at the ballot box, sealing an emphatic victory for the group allied with the current Harry Massis administration, which organized the vote against the measures and made their approval unfeasible for the opposition, which supported the changes and holds a larger number of seats on the body.

The vote saw high political mobilization, with 238 of the 255 eligible councilors taking part (93.33% attendance). On none of the items put on the agenda were favorable votes able to overcome the margin of rejection.

The widest margin of defeat came in the block considered the most sensitive and controversial on the agenda: the proposal for a feasibility study on the possible transformation of São Paulo into a business corporation (SAF). The item was rejected by 136 votes against (57.14%) to 99 in favor (41.60%), showing strong internal resistance to any sign of change in the club’s associative model.

Detailed voting results, block by block

The rejection followed a consistent pattern across all matters submitted to the plenary:

SAF / Business Corporation Study: 136 votes against (57.14%) vs. 99 in favor (41.60%).

Board of Directors (reduction to 8 members and expansion of independent seats): 131 votes against (55.04%) vs. 106 in favor (44.54%).

Business Continuity During Management Transition: 130 votes against (54.62%) vs. 104 in favor (43.70%).

Robust Governance: 127 votes against (53.36%) vs. 108 in favor (45.38%).

Compliance and Ombudsman’s Office: 126 votes against (52.94%) vs. 109 in favor (45.80%).

Fiscal Council: 126 votes against (52.94%) vs. 109 in favor (45.80%).

Judicial Harmonization: 126 votes against (52.94%) vs. 110 in favor (46.22%).

Real Budget: 125 votes against (52.52%) vs. 110 in favor (46.22%).

Transparency: 125 votes against (52.52%) vs. 110 in favor (46.22%).

Accountability of Directors: 123 votes against (51.68%) vs. 111 in favor (46.64%).

Financial Statement Reporting: 123 votes against (51.68%) vs. 112 in favor (47.06%).

Digital Resources: 122 votes against (51.26%) vs. 112 in favor (47.06%).

With the result, the current bylaw text remains unchanged, and any new attempt at constitutional revision is postponed to the club’s next political cycles.

Backroom tension, financial hole, and split voting at Morumbi

The deliberation in the Deliberative Council is taking place in a climate of intense political turmoil and budgetary instability. The start of consideration of the matters had been postponed for two previous meetings due to methodological disagreements and requests for more time to study them.

Altogether, the package includes 54 proposals for constitutional amendments, which were grouped into 12 thematic blocks for individual consideration, opening the possibility of partial approval of the items.

The discussions take on dramatic overtones in the context of the club’s finances. São Paulo posted a deficit of R$ 215 million in its first-half financial statements, a level that raised the club’s consolidated debt to R$ 1.1 billion.

Behind the scenes, the bylaw debate turned into a political tug-of-war between the club’s board and the president of the Deliberative Council, Olten Ayres de Abreu Júnior — identified as the architect of proposals aimed at decentralizing and limiting the powers of the executive presidency.

In retaliation, Massis allies even brought negotiations over operating revenues into the mix, such as the signing of the letter of intent with ticketing operator Ticketmaster, using the vote as a bargaining tool in response to attempts by the Council to audit the bidding process that would bring an advance of R$ 140 million into the club’s coffers.

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