Mattheus Montenegro on Fluminense, delay and split rumours | OneFootball

The Tricolor president explained the technical reasoning behind the date change for the derby, reaffirmed his partnership with general director Mário Bittencourt, and looked ahead to the second half of the year with the team still alive in the three main competitions.

In an interview with Setor Sul Podcast, Fluminense president Mattheus Montenegro took stock of his first six months in charge of the club’s management. Staying true to his transparent approach, the president avoided calling the semester “good,” noting that Fluminense did not win the Campeonato Carioca title, but emphasized the importance of the team starting the second half of the year qualified for the round of 16 in both the Copa Libertadores and the Copa do Brasil, while also sitting near the top of the Campeonato Brasileiro table.

One of the most closely watched moments of the interview came when Montenegro detailed the behind-the-scenes circumstances of the postponement of the match against their rival in the first half of the year. Acknowledging how unpopular the move was with the fans, the president explained that the decision was based strictly on technical criteria and the day-to-day realities of football, without causing any harm to Fluminense.

“I received a call from Flamengo asking for this change to the match, and I received a call from the CBF to the same effect. The first thing I did was call the football department to get their opinion. Mário (Bittencourt) was at the training center, in a meeting, and everyone was in favor of the change, mainly because there was no downside for Fluminense. We would have one extra day of training for the derby,” Mattheus explained, recalling that fixture changes for logistical reasons are standard practice and that Fluminense itself has already benefited from similar requests made to the federation.

Governance and the relationship with Mário Bittencourt

The president also used the opportunity to categorically deny rumors of a political crisis and claims that there had been a falling-out with Mário Bittencourt because of the episode. Mattheus stressed that the stability of the internal environment is one of the main pillars supporting the current Fluminense and explained how responsibilities are divided.

“My relationship with Mário is great, and it always has been. The only thing that changed from last year to this year is that we still discuss every issue, but the final decision is now mine as president. But we have rarely disagreed in a truly opposing way,” he said.

Montenegro also detailed Mário’s vital role in the club’s organizational structure: “Mário’s role today is to serve as the club’s General Director, helping me with day-to-day matters. He stepped away from his law firm and works 100% for Fluminense. My position is unpaid, I have a firm to run, and I can’t spend the entire day working on club matters. Mário handles all these issues with the directors of each department. There’s a lot of gossip (about fights), and we try to stay closed off so it doesn’t interfere with the club’s stability,” he concluded.

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