Criticised over Olten, opposition cites bylaws to stop ‘casarismo’ | OneFootball

Among all the aspects of the vote that prevented the preventive suspension of Olten Ayres de Abreu from the presidency of the Deliberative Council, what stood out was the fact that the official’s narrow victory, 120 votes to 118, was only achieved thanks to the actions of São Paulo’s opposition groups, which lined up behind Julio Casares’s former political ally.

Well, for those who follow the behind-the-scenes of São Paulo politics more closely, this is nothing new. Since April, when he was “reported” precisely by president Harry Massis, Olten has definitively moved over to the side opposing the current administration. He has even been taking part in meetings to choose the name that will emerge to run in the club’s presidential elections at the end of the year.

Behind-the-scenes matters aside, a large part of the fan base was still stunned to see names and faces well known since the start of the year, in the process that culminated in Casares’s resignation, supposedly voting in favor of one of the main pillars of the former president’s entire administration. More than that, Olten is accused of several irregularities, such as employing a ghost employee at the club and causing losses through fines and repairs to cars provided for use by an automaker. In addition, the Civil Police are investigating him for alleged ideological falsehood linked to an opinion issued by the club’s Advisory Council, broadening the scope of the investigations into the official.

Among other points, it is worth noting that Olten was only re-elected president of the Council in 2023 because of Casares’s own intervention. It was even one of the reasons for the split with former football director Carlos Belmonte, whose political group wanted to nominate another name for the position.

But, as São Paulo politics are extremely dynamic and the scenario is one of extreme turbulence, there was no way for the opposition to come out of the vote unscathed. And so, some of its main figures had to turn to social media to justify the supposed pro-Olten vote, arguing that his suspension violates the Bylaws and that it is also a maneuver by Casares’s allies to avoid his expulsion from the club.

“Today’s vote prevented São Paulo from being handed over to the political allies of the former president (Julio Casares), whose expulsion is only a matter of time. What some interpret as an individual rescue actually represents the protection of a greater good: our São Paulo Futebol Clube. The process will continue. We will remove, one by one, those who turned the club into a way of making a living,” wrote Caio Forjaz.

Responding to a fan outraged by his vote, the council member added to his justification. “I respect and understand the outrage. He was not acquitted. There is still a process underway, and he will be judged at the end. There was a clear intention of illegal suspension. The fact that he ‘got it wrong’ on many occasions does not legitimize the opinion. He will have no more room at São Paulo. We have to be smart and eliminate them one by one. In the elimination line, there are some the fans do not know. We removed Casares and expelled Douglas, Mara and Márcio. We will eliminate them one by one,” he said.

In a message sent to mobile messaging groups during the early hours of the morning, Flávio Marques, considered by many one of the most upright names on the Deliberative Council, highlighted legal aspects behind his decision.

“Friends. I read the more than 200 pages of the disciplinary proceeding, took notes and reached my conclusions, as I do every time I am going to vote. I watched the presentations by the lawyers for both sides. ‘The proceeding violates, in my interpretation, article 145, paragraph 3, which sets a thirty-day deadline for the legislative committee to express itself on proposals to amend the bylaws, and article 36, sole paragraph, of São Paulo’s bylaws, which requires the favorable vote of two-thirds of the council members entitled to vote for the preventive suspension of any São Paulo member. I voted conscientiously against the ethics committee’s opinion/recommendation. I voted, with conviction, for legality,” he wrote.

“I respect those who think differently, but my vote was technical. Strictly technical. If Mr. Olten left fines outstanding and maintenance costs on São Paulo’s account, then he should immediately reimburse the club. He and all officials who may eventually be in the same situation. Let all officials who committed irregularities be punished for what they did. But let the proceedings follow the logic of the articles of our bylaws,” he added.

Among the opposition voices, one of the most pressured by outraged fans was Fábio Machado, since the council member was nearly expelled from the club during the Casares era and, with Olten’s help, was even criminally prosecuted by the former administration.

In a post on his social media, Machado was perhaps the one who most clearly laid out the club’s current political landscape and how Olten’s suspension could lead to situations even more damaging to the club.

“Probably no one on the Deliberative Council detests Olten Ayres de Abreu more than I do. Throughout his entire term, Olten did everything he could to persecute the opposition and defend his then-ally Julio Casares. They were partners in the attempts at a bylaws coup, in approving budgets and accounts that did not hold up, in bad contracts for the club, and in so many other measures harmful to São Paulo. They were even partners in ordinary courts. They even criminally prosecuted me and Kristian Orberg (a club member) for calling both of them coup-plotters. They remained allies right up until the moments leading to JC’s (Casares’s) removal by the Council,” he wrote.

“The fact is that today São Paulo is at war between two factions: Mara’s group (Casares), Dedé and Douglas (Schwartzmann), together with the current board, against Olten Ayres. Is there a good side? Is there any side in this dispute that puts São Paulo first? The answer seems obvious to me. That said, many made the political calculation that suspending Olten would hand all the club’s political power to the same group of abhorrent people who run it today. In short: terrible with Olten, but still with a system of checks and balances within the dispute currently taking place at the club,” he added.

“I am not saying that I agree with this position or that I voted that way, but I am sure that many who voted this way — and I include friends of mine, who are being bombarded over this — did so thinking about what they believe is best for the club in the long term, swallowing this huge bitter pill that is helping Olten. São Paulo politics are far too complex, and moves are not always as simple as they seem. Just as our side expelled Mara, Douglas and Márcio Carlomagno, in addition to removing Júlio Casares, we will keep working for the expulsion of Dedé, of JC (Casares) himself and of others responsible for bringing the club to this situation,” he concluded.

THE CONTROVERSIAL VOTE

São Paulo’s Deliberative Council rejected, by 120 votes to 118, the extension for another four months of the preventive suspension of Olten Ayres de Abreu Júnior from the presidency of the body.

The razor-thin margin did not prevent the decision from having a negative impact on social media, where fans reacted with heavy criticism of Olten, the Council and the opposition, whose members were decisive in blocking the measure.

As a result, the official returns to office after nearly three weeks away.

Olten had voluntarily stepped aside on May 14, after an agreement with the Council’s vice president, João Farias Júnior, and the president of the ethics committee, Antônio Maria Patiño Zorz, to guarantee time for the presentation of his defense.

After analyzing the case, the committee recommended preventive suspension until the end of the inquiry, but the proposal has now been overturned by the council members.

The vote, however, does not amount to an acquittal. The reckless management proceeding is still underway in the ethics committee, which may recommend Olten’s expulsion from São Paulo’s membership rolls, the most severe internal punishment provided for.

The Council is also expected to examine a definitive suspension in the future, though no date has yet been set.

The complaint against Olten was filed in April by club president Harry Massis Júnior, based on an accusation of reckless management during the processing of a proposed bylaws reform.

The project, originally presented by former president Júlio Casares in December, proposed reducing the qualified quorum for structural decisions, such as turning the club into a SAF. The legislative committee issued an unfavorable opinion in April, but before that, Olten had created a new committee to deal with broader changes to the bylaws.

For Massis, the move represented a breach of the bylaws by reopening an issue that had already been rejected. The crisis accumulated new chapters throughout the process. In the midst of it, Olten went so far as to remove the members of the ethics committee who were conducting the inquiry, but the decision was annulled by Farias, and the members returned to their positions.

On May 7, the Civil Police opened an investigation into alleged ideological falsehood linked to an opinion by the club’s Advisory Council, broadening the scope of the investigations into the official.

It is still unclear what Olten’s next steps will be, but it is possible that his return will lead the legislative committee to resume work on the bylaws reform, which has been on hold by Massis since the beginning of May. It is also not known whether he will again seek to remove the ethics committee.

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