Andrés Sanchez's defence to appeal against Corinthians expulsion | OneFootball

The defense team of former Corinthians president Andrés Sanchez said it will appeal to the courts against the decision by the club’s Deliberative Council that ordered his expulsion from the membership rolls. The measure was approved last Monday (25), based on a favorable opinion from the Ethics and Discipline Committee, which pointed to the improper use of the club’s corporate card for personal expenses during his tenure. The same irregularity also led to complaints filed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office in court against the former president.

In an official statement, the law firm Fernando José da Costa Advogados said it received the decision with “absolute disagreement” and alleged that the procedure was conducted with “serious irregularities.” The news was reported by journalist Tiago Salazar and confirmed by Central do Timão.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

Among the main arguments presented by the defense is the role of Leonardo Pantaleão in the disciplinary proceedings. The lawyers consider it “inadmissible” that the official simultaneously chaired the Ethics Committee responsible for drafting the opinion recommending expulsion and later led the Deliberative Council session that put the document to a vote. Pantaleão took over as interim president of the Deliberative Council after the temporary removal of Romeu Tuma Júnior in April.

Another issue raised concerns the voting method adopted during the meeting. According to the defense, the club’s bylaws provided for a secret ballot, while the decision was made through an open roll-call vote.

Still according to the statement, the alleged irregularities were even the subject of remarks by council members during the Deliberative Council session itself. For Andrés Sanchez’s representatives, the handling of the case goes beyond the former president’s individual sphere and creates a “troubling precedent” within the club by, in the defense’s view, weakening the minimum defense guarantees provided for in the bylaws.

In light of this, the lawyers stated that “the appropriate legal measures” will be taken to seek recognition of the nullity of the procedure and ensure compliance with due process of law.

The expulsion of Andrés Sanchez was approved by Corinthians’ Deliberative Council after reviewing the opinion prepared by the Ethics and Discipline Committee. According to the investigations, the irregular spending on the club’s corporate card may have reached around R$ 480,000, adjusted for inflation and interest, between 2018 and 2021.

An influential figure in Corinthians politics over the past decades, Andrés led the club in two periods: from 2007 to 2011 and later from 2018 to 2020. In an interview given to ESPN last Tuesday (26), the former executive said he does not intend to return to Parque São Jorge and expressed disillusionment with the football environment. “I don’t want to (go back). In fact, I want to keep my distance. Football is expensive, boring, and dangerous,” he said.

Fans protested in front of Parque São Jorge calling for Andrés Sanchez’s expulsion from Corinthians. Photo: Michael Anjos/Gaviões da Fiel

Read the full statement sent by Andrés Sanchez’s defense team:

The law firm Fernando José da Costa – Advogados, which represents Andrés Navarro Sánchez, expresses its absolute disagreement with the decision approved by the Deliberative Council of Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, which ordered its client’s expulsion from the club’s membership rolls.

The decision was issued in proceedings marked by serious irregularities, and it is inadmissible that Dr. Leonardo Pantaleão chaired the Ethics Committee responsible for preparing the expulsion opinion and later chaired the Deliberative Council session that submitted that same opinion to a vote.

Also serious is the holding of an open roll-call vote, in disagreement with the procedural provision set out in the club’s bylaws, as indicated in the notice of meeting, which expressly provides for a secret ballot.

The irregularities were so evident that they prompted questions from council members during the session itself.

The violations found are not limited to Andrés Sánchez’s case, but represent a troubling precedent for all the club’s members, executives, and council members, by weakening the minimum defense guarantees provided for in the bylaws themselves.

Given this scenario, the defense will adopt the appropriate legal measures to obtain recognition of the nullities of the procedure and full observance of due process of law.

Corinthians News

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