Corinthians board president plans SAF referendum with club members | OneFootball

The president of the Deliberative Council of Corinthians, Romeu Tuma Júnior, is planning to hold a plebiscite with the members of Parque São Jorge to discuss the possibility of transforming the club into a SAF (Sociedade Anônima do Futebol, or Football Joint Stock Company).

According to information obtained by Gazeta Esportiva, the event has not yet been made official. Romeu Tuma is still considering the idea and intends to present an in-depth study on the subject to the members.

The aim of the president of the Deliberative Council is to present to the members all the advantages and disadvantages of the SAF. This way, they would have the opportunity to express themselves in favor of or against this management model.

A key point in the debate will be the issue of taxation, which is currently under discussion in Congress. This is because one of the laws in the tax reform indicates that, starting in 2027, SAFs will have to pay much less in taxes compared to associative clubs.

Corinthians council members believe that this definition will play a decisive role in the approval or rejection of a potential SAF.

(Photo: José Manoel Idalgo/Agência Corinthians)

What is a plebiscite?

A plebiscite is a consultation made to the population so that it can express its opinion on an important issue of public interest, such as changes to the Constitution, the creation of relevant laws, or high-impact political decisions. In this case, Corinthians members would be consulted about transforming the club into a SAF.

In this vote, people choose between predefined options, usually answering “yes” or “no.” The main characteristic of a plebiscite is that it takes place before the decision is made by the public authorities, serving as guidance for leaders and legislators regarding the popular will.

The result of the vote, therefore, would not be definitive and would not have deliberative power, but would indicate the desire of the majority of Timão’s members, serving as a suggestion.

Heated discussions

The topic of SAF has been gaining more and more space in the debates among Corinthians council members and members. Not by chance, the subject was discussed in a public hearing promoted by the club’s Council in December of last year.

The possible creation of a black-and-white SAF was also included in the draft of the statutory reform presented in 2025. The topic also gained importance because of SAFiel, a project conceived by Timão fans, but which faces enormous internal resistance.

By Tiago Salazar and André Costa

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