Officials approve progress in talks for Brazil's football league | OneFootball

CBF held an inaugural meeting with Série A and B clubs and State Federations to begin discussions on the creation of a Football League in BrazilCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF

Executives from Série A and B clubs praised the CBF for holding the inaugural meeting to begin discussions on the creation of Brazil’s Football League. The event, held this Monday (6) in Rio de Janeiro, brought together representatives from the clubs and state federations and presented comparative data with the world’s leading domestic leagues to highlight how much Brazilian football can still evolve.

The CBF believes that, before starting talks on matters such as governance, regulations, and revenue distribution, it is necessary to address improvements to the “Brazilian football” product and stresses that “the league must have the clubs in the leading role.” This process involves creating more attractive conditions so that fans, clubs, sponsors, and the media engage even more with the country’s most popular sport.

“The meeting was essential because we brought a communication strategy and a plan for how we are going to create our league. And before we talk about how to sell and structure a league, we first need to talk about the product delivered to our fans. A group of nine directors studied various dimensions of football, of the Brasileirão product we put on, and we brought several elements here so that, in the coming months, we can move forward in building a better product,” highlighted Helder Melillo, CBF executive director.

“We believe that the league must have the clubs in the leading role. The CBF sees itself here as a coordinator, as an intermediary in the clubs’ actions, and as a mediator. We brought several suggestions on how to proceed and strategic proposals, but everything will be decided by the clubs,” he added.

CBF executive director Helder Melillo speaks during the CBF’s inaugural meeting with Série A and B clubs to begin discussions on the creation of Brazil’s Football LeagueCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF

See what some executives had to say:

Reinaldo Carneiro Bastos, president of the São Paulo Football Federation: “This meeting was unlike anything I’ve ever seen in Brazilian football. We got an exact sense of where we stand compared to the world’s most modern leagues and how much we need to improve. The CBF gave clubs the chance to take part in this debate, and they should take part. I have always believed football will grow; it needs the development of the clubs so that we can create new moments and a new format in every sense. Because the league is the final stage of this work.”

Leila Pereira, president of Palmeiras: “With the strength of the CBF and its willingness to improve our product, I have no doubt that this is a great path toward the beginning of our league.”

Palmeiras president Leila Pereira during the CBF’s inaugural meeting with Série A and B clubs to begin discussions on the creation of Brazil’s Football LeagueCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF

Pedro Daniel, CEO of Atlético-MG: “It was a historic and very important meeting for Brazilian football. A major diagnosis was presented, covering several fronts, and showing where we stand compared to the major leagues. It was a very interesting starting point to discuss where we want to be in world football, what the main issues are that we need to discuss, so that we can reach what we want most in Brazilian football, which is to be a benchmark in management. The league is a key part of that, and today was a very important day for this discussion.”

Pedro Martins, CEO of Fortaleza: “I want to congratulate the CBF for carrying out such a precise diagnosis and for bringing forward a debate that I believe is necessary. When we talk about the future of Brazilian football, first you need to identify all the problems. And why not propose a collective solution? I believe the CBF is spearheading a fundamental project, and I have no doubt that with this depth, with this more complex debate, we will be able to see better Brazilian football a few years from now.”

Atlético-MG CEO Pedro Daniel speaks during the CBF’s inaugural meeting with Série A and B clubs to begin discussions on the creation of Brazil’s Football LeagueCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF

Adson Batista, president of Atlético Goianiense: “I thought it was a fantastic initiative, something I had never seen before. This CBF administration has shown great commitment in wanting to solve problems. I think we should have started yesterday in taking steps so that we can have a league. This is the path. We will have better revenues, and we are far behind the other leagues. To solve a problem, you have to know it, and we still need to improve a lot. I saw that there is a lucid, clear, and very transparent proposal to improve Brazilian football.”

Mario Celso Petraglia, president of Athletico-PR: “I am extremely surprised; the meeting was very well received. All the clubs I spoke to had the same impression we did. It was a perfect diagnosis, showing all the inconsistencies, the negative situations in Brazilian football, and suggestions for solutions. I am surprised and happy to hear what we heard today. The overall result is extremely positive. It is a fundamental first step. Everyone left extremely satisfied, calm, confident, and now, with the involvement of the new CBF, a single league will really happen.”

Mattheus Montenegro, president of Fluminense: “The clubs received the meeting well. The CBF did a good job and conducted a good study on the problems of Brazilian football. And there are still many more topics to be discussed, but in terms of identifying the problems, it was a very productive meeting. (...) Because the importance of the league is to maximize all types of revenue in Brazilian football. When clubs are divided, a lot of revenue is left on the table, and the goal of bringing them together is to make the most of all commercial assets and make that return to the clubs’ pockets.”

Athletico-PR president Mario Celso Petraglia speaks during the CBF’s inaugural meeting with Série A and B clubs to begin discussions on the creation of Brazil’s Football LeagueCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF

About the meeting

At the event, the CBF presented studies conducted since the first months of the current administration to show the full untapped potential of Brazilian football, whose top national division is nonetheless the sixth most valuable league in the world. The analysis was deepened through an international immersion in Europe in January, during which the Brazilian delegation learned about concepts, governance models, and strategies from the leagues and federations of England, Germany, and Spain on topics such as financial fair play, technology, and the professionalization of refereeing.

Different structural aspects of the Brasileirão were compared with the world’s main domestic leagues, and the areas in which Brazil still needs improvement became clear: the calendar, playing time, stadiums (attendance, security, and infrastructure), broadcasting, communication and social media, marketing, the exodus of young talents, governance of regulations, and the financial situation of clubs.

However, before launching this entire process, the CBF responded to recent statements from various sports entities and clubs by organizing a ceremony aimed at starting conversations about a single league in Brazil, a move the entity sees as a necessary step for the evolution of Brazilian football.

Fortaleza CEO Pedro Martins during the CBF’s inaugural meeting with Série A and B clubs to begin discussions on the creation of Brazil’s Football LeagueCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF

Positioning itself as a mediator and one of the leading voices in the debate, the CBF reiterates that the league, above all, belongs to the clubs.

The entity also believes that the league will be born even stronger because of the series of transformations the CBF has been promoting in Brazilian football, such as the restructuring and streamlining of the men’s professional football calendar, the implementation of Financial Fair Play, and the professionalization of refereeing and investment in technology.

Following this inaugural meeting, the CBF, which prioritizes dialogue before making any decision, will gather solutions and ideas from clubs and state federations to move forward in the discussions on the creation of a Football League in Brazil.

CBF president Samir Xaud at the event that brought together Série A and B clubs and State Federations to begin discussions on the creation of a Football League in BrazilCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF

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