Cade deal frees Libra and FFU, five clubs to split R$ 559,000 payment | OneFootball

Libra and FFU reached a settlement with Brazil’s antitrust body Cade in Brasília on Wednesday, lifting November’s injunction and allowing them to court new members again. According to Globo.com, the watchdog had blocked additions pending a probe into alleged irregularities last year. The Cade board approved the deal unanimously.

As part of the agreement, a R$ 559,000 payment will be shared by five Libra clubs after the bloc acknowledged it failed to notify Cade of its formation. The clubs are Flamengo, Palmeiras, Grêmio, Santos and São Paulo. Libra and FFU must also share information with the authority.

In November the case centred on suspected gun jumping, implementing a joint venture without mandatory prior notification. The injunction had also frozen club switches between blocs and the admission of new members.

Councillor Victor Oliveira Fernandes, the rapporteur, cited the old Clube dos 13 and said such agreements should be filed with the authority. He recorded Libra’s recognition of an infringement, with a R$ 559,000 payment imposed, while FFU was not fined.

Cade, part of the Ministry of Justice, opened the case after an anonymous complaint in August 2023. Its superintendence examined collective negotiation of commercial and broadcast rights by clubs within each bloc. Cade also requested recent revenue data from those involved.

Source: Globo.com