Investor playboy gets green light to inject R$1bn into São Paulo | OneFootball

The main hope for better days for many São Paulo fans, Diego Fernandes decided this Thursday (11) to further detail his plans to raise R$ 1 billion in external investments for the club.

There were two interviews, given to the portals ‘Globo Esporte‘ and “UOL“, in which the investor discussed more about his plans for his beloved team, amidst all the commotion caused on social media among São Paulo fans and the information that has surfaced with his name since November, when he practically became a public figure at Morumbi.

AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR had previously reported that Fernandes hired consulting firms to study São Paulo’s internal mechanisms, such as its elections, governance methods, and statutes. Apparently, he is already aware of the results.

“I was authorized to speak on behalf of this group that we are ready to invest in São Paulo — as long as the club modernizes its Statute, which, as far as we know, dates back to 1950 and is extremely outdated. The election model is also very backward. In addition, there is the matter of the club becoming a corporation. With these two points resolved, we are ready to invest in São Paulo. I spoke extensively with the group and made it clear that I have no intention whatsoever of becoming president or a board member of the club. I made an agreement with them that I will not participate in São Paulo’s politics. I will not make any political moves, nothing like that. My point here is to believe that a SAF model can help São Paulo with investors. I really like the model that Fluminense implemented: it maintains tradition, has investors who love the club and want to preserve its history, as well as investors who see football as a business,” he said.

Fernandes has been in the United Arab Emirates for two weeks for financial market events. There, he met with Khalfan Belhoul, to whom he gave a São Paulo jersey. Belhoul is the CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation, a fund that works closely with the local government to “shape the future” of the city.

Earlier, at the beginning of the week, Fernandes had already caused a stir among fans by posting a photo with Ronaldinho Gaúcho, holding a São Paulo jersey.

According to Fernandes, the investors have already given the “green light” for the investment project in Tricolor. “They gave me the green light to invest in São Paulo. Both international investors and traditional São Paulo families who want to invest in the club,” he added.

“This started with some traditional São Paulo families, qualified investors who are very successful in their fields. I said: ‘Great, cool.’ I went on a round of meetings abroad, and in one of the conversations I spoke with foreign and Arab funds. The talks grew and I received a green light from this group of foreign investors and these São Paulo fans who would like to make a move to invest in São Paulo. They gave me the green light to start this investment process,” he added.

Regarding the reputation he has received from São Paulo fans who have not yet put their faith in his good intentions, Fernandes points out what his intentions are and why he decided to go around handing out São Paulo jerseys.

“I know a lot of people say I ‘want to show off,’ but that’s not it at all. Last year, no one said anything when I handed out Brazil National Team jerseys. This year, I wanted to do it with the São Paulo jersey. Many people didn’t believe in the Ancelotti deal. I always believed from the start. I even put my own money in — and I haven’t even been paid back yet. I think I can do the same thing, helping my beloved club,” he said.

“First, I commissioned a survey to understand how much the fans want a SAF and how much they know about the subject. It’s important to hear the fans’ opinions. We’re going to hold a discussion panel in March, where I’ll bring in several experts to discuss SAF: highly respected lawyers, economists, invite all the board members, invite the president of São Paulo and the president of the Board. The idea is to have an open debate for the public to discuss the best model for professionalizing the club and how to structure an institutional future that saves the current situation. That’s what I can do for now, as a São Paulo fan who wants to see my team bring joy. We are ready to invest. We have a group. We would like the Statute to be changed to allow for a club-company, with governance and compliance — and not the current situation. I can’t, in good conscience, envision bringing in investors to inject money under the current governance,” he pointed out.

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