The Rio de Janeiro Court dismissed, this Tuesday (8), the action brought by the against a and São Paulo, which asked for recognition of the Rio club as the 1987 Brazilian champion and legitimate owner of the Bolinhas Cup. The decision was made by judge Arthur Eduardo Magalhães Ferreira, from the 1st Civil Court of Barra da Tijuca, and can still be appealed.
In the sentence, the judge highlighted that the issue has already been analyzed and closed in higher courts, including the Federal Supreme Court (STF), which in May 2024 maintained Sport as the only legitimate champion of the competition. For the judge, Flamengo commits “abuse of rights” by insisting on reopening the case. “It is regretted that, after so many years, the decisions of the higher courts are still being contested, albeit through different channels”, wrote Magalhães Ferreira.
The judge also stated that, although fans may disagree with sporting decisions, “legal professionals have an obligation to close legal issues that are no longer subject to discussion”.
The case of the 1987 Brasileirão
The controversy over the 1987 title has been going on for almost four decades. That year, the tournament was divided between the Green and Yellow modules. Flamengo won the Módulo Verde — called the “Copa União” — by defeating Internacional in the final. Sport and Guarani were the finalists for the Yellow Module.
The regulations provided for a final quadrangular between the two best in each module, but Flamengo and Internacional refused to participate, claiming that the Copa União was the true Brazilian Championship. With that, Sport and Guarani competed in the final, and the Pernambuco team won 1-0, on February 7, 1988, winning the title.
The CBF officially recognized Sport as the Brazilian champion, and the Court confirmed the decision in 1994. In 2011, the entity declared Flamengo and Sport as winners, but the STF, in 2017, defined that only the Pernambuco club is the legitimate champion.
The Taça das Polinhas — trophy destined for the first club to win five Brazilian titles — remains in the possession of São Paulo, since Flamengo’s recognition as champions of 1987 was definitively rejected by the courts.
*With information from Estadão Conteúdo
