São Paulo join Flamengo against turf, criticise Rio ally over Libra | OneFootball

In this hectic and turbulent week for São Paulo, the club once again expressed its preference for natural grass in stadiums, being absolutely against synthetic turf, joining Flamengo, which adopts the same stance. However, the Tricolor also found a way to take a jab at their Rio rival regarding the controversy that froze money for the Libra clubs.

At the launch event for the 2026 Campeonato Paulista, São Paulo’s football director, Carlos Belmonte, once again emphasized the club’s position on the matter.

“São Paulo is against synthetic turf. It would even be easier for concerts, but as a matter of principle, we are against synthetic turf and believe that football should be played on natural grass,” said the director, aligning himself with Flamengo, which is also directly opposed to synthetic pitches in Brazil.

However, as the famous saying goes, friends are friends, but business is business. Not letting the friendly atmosphere with the Rio club flourish too much, São Paulo issued an official statement this Wednesday (12) celebrating the court decision that unblocks R$ 66 million for the Libra clubs, after the amount was frozen due to an injunction obtained by Flamengo in the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice (TJ-RJ).

Read the Tricolor’s statement in full:

“This week’s decision goes beyond judicial recognition: it confirms that LiBRA is on the right path and restores normality within the Association. The unblocking of the R$ 66 million, which had been disproportionately withheld, brings relief to the cash flow and planning of everyone in this final stretch of the Brazilian Championship, and clearly shows that the attempt to financially suffocate the other Association Clubs was a strategy chosen by the Rio club that did not work.

It is also clear and evident, in the text of the decision, that Flamengo never presented any calculation identifying, in the appeal petition, the amount the club believed it was entitled to. This alone, obviously, justified the favorable decision for the LiBRA Clubs.

Since its inception and formation, LiBRA has prioritized dialogue and collective understanding among its members with the aim of supporting and developing the best of Brazilian football for everyone. At no time was it the entity’s intention to make public matters that should be maintained and discussed with balance and serenity within the protected, technical, and appropriate environment of Committees, Meetings, and Assemblies.

After Flamengo’s decision to take its claim to court, Libra strictly followed the process, respected the confidentiality of the case expressly requested by the Club, and handled the evidence in a technical manner in the proper context, always and exclusively seeking to clarify the facts and appropriately address the issue.

Libra’s purpose has never changed: to build a model for the future of Brazilian football. Fairer, more sustainable, and more professional. The excellent decision by the Rio Court of Justice, and Judge Lúcia Helena Passos, reinforces that what is at stake is not a clash between clubs, but the institutional strengthening of our football and the entire business chain it involves. It is important to reaffirm that the decision does not address the merits and, therefore, there is no recognition regarding the scenarios presented and discussed. This will only be subject to any discussion through the appropriate arbitration procedure.

We remain convinced that for there to be progress, it is absolutely essential to have stability and confidence in the institutions, in the leadership, in the entities, and in the Clubs. It is not through confrontation that advances are made in an association. Innovation and development require openness to constant dialogue, respect for rules of conduct and for peers, understanding of any and all demands presented by each of the Clubs, and governance so that decisions are made with support.

LiBRA remains strong, continues with its intention to represent the Clubs in forming the long-dreamed-of National League, maintains its alignments with the LFU, and always believes that together we are much greater and better.”

TRICOLOR VS FLAMENGO

After the lawsuit filed by Flamengo, São Paulo slammed their rival through an official statement issued at the end of September, in which they condemned the conduct of the Rio club for breaching an agreement with Libra regarding the payment of fees.

In its statement, the Tricolor attacked the rival’s current management, criticizing the attitude of not honoring already signed contracts, saying it is not ‘in line with its grand past’ and has the ‘intention of financially hindering Brazilian football’ by blocking funds that the clubs had already included in their planning.

“The current management of Flamengo seems not to understand that it is responsible for the contracts it inherited. After all, the great history of the Rio club was built over the years, not by the current leaders.

We trust that the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice will be able to assess the Rio club’s attitude correctly and impartially,” São Paulo concluded in its statement of disapproval.

A few days later, the Tricolor released a new official statement (check here) of repudiation, refuting several falsehoods that the Rio club had been spreading.

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