São Paulo respond to ‘reckless management’ claim to prosecutor | OneFootball

São Paulo released an official statement on the morning of this Tuesday (9) to counter an anonymous complaint of ‘reckless management’ against president Julio Casares, which was received by the State Public Prosecutor’s Office of São Paulo (MP-SP).

According to the statement from the Morumbi club, “São Paulo responded to requests for clarification regarding actions carried out and approved by the current management of the club and its internal governance bodies.”

“São Paulo remains available for any further information and clarifications that the authority may deem necessary, in a transparent manner and in accordance with applicable legal procedures,” the statement reads.

AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR found that the club’s public statement was made at the request of the Prosecutor’s Office itself, which is still considering whether to open an investigation.

Furthermore, the complaint was reportedly based on four accusations made by the whistleblower: selling youth players for below-market values; a deficit of R$ 287 million in 2024; a proposal to implement the Cotia FIP (Investment and Participation Fund); and the establishment of a partnership between president Julio Casares’s son and a youth player agent in a pet products company.

According to São Paulo sources consulted by AMT, the complaints were not accompanied by any documentation. The club formally presented its defense to the authority last Monday (8), addressing all the points of accusation.

“Regarding the sale of players, São Paulo showed the Public Prosecutor’s Office that other clubs also sold young players at similar prices to those mentioned in the complaint. Examples: Matheus Gonçalves, from Flamengo, Isaque, from Fluminense, and Vanderlan, from Palmeiras, are similar values,” São Paulo’s lawyer in the case, Guilherme Salutti, told ‘ESPN’.

“Regarding the 2024 deficit, São Paulo had a target for selling players who increased in value after winning the Copa do Brasil, which ended up not happening, as in the case of Pablo Maia, who was injured,” he added.

“In 2020, Julinho Casares started a pet platform with some partners, but due to the pandemic, the company never operated. Years later, one of those partners started working in football, managing young players. This case has already been subject to compliance review at the club and nothing was found,” the lawyer continued.

“We argued to the Public Prosecutor’s Office that this complaint is not directed at any specific person in the management or at the club, and therefore, the anonymous complaint loses strength. São Paulo is cooperating to clarify all the questions from the Public Prosecutor’s Office,” he concluded.

The report contacted the MP-SP for comment, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

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