Will Marco Aurélio Cunha run for São Paulo president? Find out | OneFootball

Marco Aurélio Cunha does not intend to run for the presidency of São Paulo in this year’s election. At 72, the lifetime council member considers his project of reaching the club’s top position closed and says he prefers to work behind the scenes.

Agência RTI Esporte has learned that Marco Aurélio Cunha changed his stance on the eve of the election. In 2020, he lost the opposition primary to Roberto Natel, who ended up facing Julio Casares in the election, won by the current president by 155 votes to 78.

Now, Marco Aurélio Cunha shows no interest in repeating that move. The idea is to use the experience he has built up in football and within São Paulo to take part in internal discussions, but without seeking a position in the future board.

Marcelo Portugal Gouvêa emerges as an option

Marcelo Portugal Gouvêa officially launched his candidacy in September on the São Paulo de Volta ticket, with Eduardo Alfano Vieira as the vice-presidential candidate and Fábio Mariz de Oliveira for the Deliberative Council.

The decision puts Marco Aurélio Cunha in a different position from the one he took six years ago. Instead of trying to lead a ticket, the council member signals that he intends to take part in the political articulation without holding office.

When will São Paulo’s election be?

São Paulo’s presidential election is expected to take place in the first half of December 2026, although no official date has yet been set. The vote will choose the president who will lead the club in the next cycle, in addition to involving the makeup of the Deliberative Council.

The opposition, for example, already has Marcelo Portugal Gouvêa as its candidate. On the other hand, the current ruling group is still deciding on its representative. The tickets are expected to move forward in the coming weeks, with a deadline set for October.

Who is Marco Aurélio Cunha?

Trained as an orthopedic doctor, Marco Aurélio Cunha built a career of more than four decades linked to football. He began his journey at São Paulo back in the 1970s and also spent time at Bragantino, Guarani, Coritiba, Santos, Figueirense, and Avaí.

At São Paulo, he returned in 2002 as a football executive and took part in assembling the squads that won the Copa Libertadores and the 2005 Club World Cup, as well as the three consecutive Brazilian league titles between 2006 and 2008.

He also returned to the role of executive football director in 2016. Outside the clubs, Marco Aurélio Cunha also coordinated the CBF’s women’s national teams and served a term as a city councilman in São Paulo.

In 2019, he briefly held a seat in the São Paulo State Legislative Assembly, and since 2013, he has been a lifetime council member at São Paulo. At 72, he is putting the election race in the background and remains active behind the scenes at the club.

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