In a challenging scenario, with an initial budget that predicted a higher deficit of nearly $ 80 million to 2025, the Brazil Olympic Committee (COB) adopted an austere, strategic but not only avoided approach to generalized cuts, but also resulted in significant fiscal rebalancing. The focus of the administration was to optimize resources and expand revenues, ensuring sustainability for the present and future of the Brazilian Olympic Movement.
The movement is widely celebrated by the institution just over 100 days after the new management, which began in January under the command of Marco La Porta, elected in October last year.
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The change began with a deep and collaborative budget review. “One of the most sensitive points is to evaluate the budget of the year that starts,” said Marcelo Vido, COB’s director of operations, who is former Olympic basketball player, with tickets at Atletico-MG, Minas Tennis Club and Flamengo. “Then we reviewed, we showed all the leaders around 28 people in various segments that we needed to do a more rigorous analysis of the 2025 budget, thinking of 2026, 2027 and ending in the 2028 Olympic cycle.”
This review involved 22 meetings and more than 16 hours of discussions between the sectors. The process, according to Vido, was extremely collaborative, with all areas understanding the importance of a rational and disciplined approach. “If I were to look only as a financial director, I could cut 15%, 10%… or increase by 5%. But that’s not what I believe. The budget is everyone and is a very friendly tool to work,” he said.
New recipes
The strategy adopted by COB was not just spending adjustments. Although containment measures have been implemented, the focus was on the reevaluation and prioritization of investments with greater impact and efficiency. In addition, the committee adopted a proactive stance in the search for new sources of revenue.
Among the news are the resources from sports bets and projects encouraged via tax incentive laws, tools that COB did not use until then. “We managed to glimpse new recipes, among them the resource of the Bets, although still without defined parameter. We made a conservative forecast, I hope,” explained Vido.
“In the other clubs I went through, we worked hard with the incentive law. And it’s not only federal, but also state and municipal, depending on the city. This culture needs to reach the COB and the Confederations.”
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The inclusion of encouraged projects represents an important key turn. The goal is not only to capture for the COB, but for the set of 38 affiliated confederations. “These new recipes are not for COB alone, they are for the Olympic Movement. We want to be a hub for these confederations. Our CNPJ can have up to six projects, but we need to think more. We have to work in the COB sports area to look for more resources for other confederations as well.”
Another relevant point is the way resources are redistributed internally. According to Vido, approximately 85% of the amount from federal lotteries is passed on to confederations strategically and meritocratic.
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“This feature is almost all intelligently redistributed, so that confederations also improve their processes. And we are not just talking about Olympic Games. There are Panamericano, South American, youth games… A complete cycle, with several competitions that the sport area is very careful,” he added.
In addition to financial reorganization, COB also invests in strengthening its internal structure. In partnership with Deloitte, a growth policy is being developed for employees, aiming at valorization, qualification and retention of talents, a fundamental element to support the entity’s new administrative philosophy.
In just over 100 days, the committee has not only reorganized its budget, but also implementing a management model that prioritizes fiscal responsibility, long -term vision and direct impact on the development of national Olympic sport.
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