Bap speaks out on SAF at Flamengo, says: "We're like Real Madrid"

In partnership with

Coluna do Fla

·12 février 2026

Bap speaks out on SAF at Flamengo, says: "We're like Real Madrid"

What did Bap, Flamengo's president, say about the Football Corporation (SAF)?

The Football Corporation (SAF) model has gained traction in Brazilian football in recent years. When asked about the possibility of adopting the model at Flamengo, Luiz Eduardo Baptista, known as Bap, stated that the Rubro-Negro will never become a SAF.

— That's an excellent question. I have absolutely nothing against SAFs. Nothing. What I think is this: what is the principle of SAF? You have a football club that cannot handle its debts, a club practically bankrupt from a management perspective, and someone decides to take command -, he said, before concluding:

Vidéos OneFootball

— This person assumes the debts and makes new investments. That's the principle. I am absolutely in favor of that. No problem. Flamengo will never be a SAF. Flamengo is like Real Madrid (ESP): it doesn't need to become a SAF -, concluded Bap, in an interview with 'Diario AS'.

Did Botafogo receive Bap's attention?

A SAF since April 2022, Botafogo is in a delicate financial situation. This is because, Flamengo's rival faced a transfer ban, a penalty that prevents a club from registering new players in competitions, due to non-payment to Atlanta United (USA) for the signing of Thiago Almada.

Thus, John Textor, owner of Botafogo's SAF, secured financial support to pay the transfer ban and register the club's new signings. Now, the alvinegro team will have to repay the loan.

I understand that, for the good of football, SAF is indeed a solution for other clubs. What cannot happen is what we are seeing with a centenary club like Botafogo. You create a SAF, allow someone to buy the club, and it ends up worse than it was. Botafogo owed, I believe, about 100 million euros. Someone buys the club, they become champions of the Brasileirão and Libertadores in 2024, earn millions, don't pay anyone, and still increase the previous debt. This needs regulation! If someone comes with a lot of money and uses it just to hire players, without fulfilling any of their obligations, what's the point? There has been a distortion of the SAF concept. Flamengo is against this kind of situation without punishment. There must be sporting punishment, there must be point deductions. You bought the club with a debt of 80 million, assumed you would clear it, increase the debt to 160 million, don't pay anyone, and suffer no sporting or financial punishment. This is wrong,” added Bap.

Which Brasileirão clubs are SAF?

At the moment, seven clubs in the Série A of the Brasileirão are SAF: Atlético-MG, Bahia, Botafogo, Chapecoense, Coritiba, Cruzeiro, and Vasco. Thus, these were the teams that adopted the corporate model for football management, seeking financial restructuring and external investment.

What is Flamengo's next match?

Meanwhile, Flamengo remains focused on the next commitment of the season. This Sunday (15), Filipe Luís's team faces Botafogo at 5:30 PM (Brasília time), at Nilton Santos Stadium, for the quarter-finals of the Carioca.

As tradition dictates, Coluna do Fla will bring all the details about the match between Flamengo and Botafogo, through YouTube, the website, and social media. However, Globo (open channel), GE TV (YouTube) and Premiere (pay-per-view) will broadcast the Carioca match.

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