Opposition candidate Marcelinho backs Ticketmaster, explains why | OneFootball

Opposition candidate for the São Paulo presidency, Marcelinho Portugal Gouvêa, said he voted in favor of approving the contract with Ticketmaster in the Deliberative Council. The agreement for the company that will now handle the club’s ticketing and membership program was approved by the body late this Wednesday afternoon (30).

Despite criticizing how the bidding process conducted by the administration of current president Harry Massis Júnior was handled, the opposition leader justified his stance as a necessary measure to ease the financial crisis and protect the club’s football operations.

Justification for the Vote and Criticism of the Process

In an official statement released after the vote, Gouvêa pointed out flaws in the process, but stressed that the urgency of São Paulo’s financial situation outweighed political differences.

“I believe the process of choosing the new ticketing company had flaws in how it was conducted. Even so, given the club’s financial situation, I believe approving the contract is the most prudent decision to protect São Paulo and reduce risks, especially in football. Rejecting it now would bring more uncertainty to a club that needs stability,” he said.

Support for the Caveats and Defense of Legal Certainty

The opposition candidate highlighted that he voted in line with the two caveats considered by the Council — reducing the termination fee and initially excluding the membership program — in order to avoid legal disputes such as the one threatened by Feng, the current operator of the program.

“We cannot move forward without being clear that this inclusion does not conflict with the current contract for the program, which could lead to a legal dispute and significant financial losses. São Paulo must respect the contracts it signs,” he said.

Guidance to the Opposition Bloc

Finally, Gouvêa stressed that the stance adopted by the opposition wing sought to keep the electoral debate separate from the technical decision of institutional interest.

“We instructed the council members of the Salve o Tricolor Paulista group to vote on a technical, not political, basis, with the freedom for each one to decide according to their own convictions. That is how we believe the club should be run,” he added.

Positioning and Vote with Caveats

In an official statement, Gouvêa detailed the criteria that guided his position and the recommendation given to his political group:

Financial Prudence: The opposition candidate argued that rejecting the proposal would bring more uncertainty and risks to São Paulo’s football operations at a time of tight cash flow.

Support for the Caveats: Gouvêa voted in favor of reducing the termination fee and excluding the membership program from the initial package with Ticketmaster. According to the candidate, the club needs to respect existing contracts to avoid legal disputes and financial losses — in reference to the dispute involving Feng.

Technical Vote Within the Group: The guidance given to the council members of the Salve o Tricolor Paulista bloc was to adopt a technical rather than political stance, while ensuring freedom to vote according to each member’s individual convictions.

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