Members of the Brazilian Sports Association approved this Tuesday (26) the transformation of the club into a SAF (Sociedade Anônima de Futebol).
In a vote at the Raulzão gymnasium, in Canindé, the members approved by a large majority the proposal presented by the group of investors formed by Tauá Partners, XP Investimentos and Revee, for the establishment of the club-company model. There were 158 votes in favor and only 26 against.
This was the last step necessary for the effective conclusion of the agreement between the parties. On the 14th, the Deliberative Council of Portuguesa had already approved, by acclamation, the transformation of the club into a SAF.
“This moment marks an important step in Portuguesa’s trajectory, reinforcing the commitment to the search for a sustainable and competitive future for the club”, said the association in a post on social media.
The model designed for Portuguesa by the group of investors foresees the investment of R$263 million in the football department between 2025 and 2029, with the goal of returning Portuguesa to Series A of the Brazilian Championship and to the semi-finals of the Campeonato Paulista by 2029. The team is currently in the first state division, but in the fourth national division, Series D.
In the state championship, Portuguesa is in group B, alongside Santos, Bragantino and Guarani. The competition starts on January 15th, and investors had been pressuring the club’s management to quickly approve the agreement, to begin hiring players and the coaching staff for the dispute.
Financing will be through XP Investimentos, and the majority of the contribution, R$144 million, will be allocated to professional football. According to Tauá Partners, the goal, until the club returns to the elite, is for the club to have the highest salary in the access divisions.
The project foresees the allocation of R$50 million for the purchase of players, with a focus on promising athletes up to 23 years old, with the potential to stand out in the club and be negotiated at a profit for the SAF.
There is also R$44 million planned for grassroots football, R$18 million for the renovation of the training center and R$7 million for the creation of a competitive women’s team to compete in the Brazilian Championship.
The investors also want to remodel the Canindé stadium, which, at a cost of approximately R$500 million, would become a multipurpose arena, along the lines of Palmeiras’ Allianz Parque. The capacity would be around 30 thousand spectators for games and 45 thousand to 50 thousand for shows.
The project envisages a garage building next to the arena, with 2,500 spaces, and a 16,000 square meter roof, for events such as weddings and graduation parties. If approved, the renovation will be carried out by the company Revee.
Under the SAF proposal, investors will assume Portuguesa’s debts. In an interview with Sheet at the end of March, the club’s president, Antônio Carlos Castanheira, stated that the debts were around R$500 million.
According to Tauá’s partners, with SAF, Portuguesa will have strategic partnerships with clubs in Europe, the United States and South America, such as Benfica, from Portugal, and LDU, from Ecuador, for the facilitated transfer of players.
Under the agreed model, investors will have 80% of SAF, with the remaining 20% remaining with Portuguesa.
