One of the most talked about topics at the beginning of 2026 is the political-institutional crisis at São Paulo Futebol Clube, one of the most important clubs in Brazil.
Amid allegations of unusual movements in SPFC accounts, financial mismanagement and the illegal sale of boxes at the Morumbi stadium, president Julio Casares was impeached, being removed by the Deliberative Council, and resigned.
The administrative crisis joined the sporting crisis, which in the final stretch of 2025 resulted in changes in the São Paulo football department.
For the average fan, who watches everything from the outside, the immediate questions are: “What does this affect in the locker room? What is the relationship with the team’s deterioration?”
If training continues, if visits to stadiums continue, if uniforms continue to be offered, why does the off-field situation influence performance on the field? Just play ball and be competitive to get good results. Just like that.
Only not. Even though everything seems to be normal on a daily basis, a turbulent environment in the club’s command hierarchy spills over into football. A scenario of instability is created that reaches the players.
Without a strong and stable football department, which can only be built with the support of a strong and stable presidency, uncertainty will reign.
There is no one to manage the situation of delays in payments for image rights (remuneration to athletes, apart from their salary, for advertising and marketing) and prizes. There is no one to plan the cast’s next steps, planning meetings are postponed, negotiations and hiring are on hold.
Undefinitions cause insecurity. The player no longer focuses solely on football performance and continually harbors doubts. “Are you going to pay me?” “Are you going to renew my contract?” “Who drives this aimless boat?”
A solid command reflects positively on the team. A weak command has the opposite effect. Fear and unpredictability do not contribute, and the team fragments, losing cohesion and confidence. On the field, with the aggravating factor of a dissatisfied and impatient crowd, the chance of success plummets.
It doesn’t just happen here – the case of São Paulo is the most recent, but institutional crises periodically affect large clubs –, there have been episodes abroad.
In Italy, Juventus’ image with sponsors and investors was damaged due to accounting irregularities, which resulted in the president (Andrea Agnelli) falling and losing ten points in the 2022/2023 championship, which took away the chance to qualify for continental tournaments.
In Spain, the internal turmoil at Barcelona accumulated during Josep Bartomeu’s management culminated in something unthinkable, the departure of Lionel Messi from the Catalan club in 2021. Bartomeu resigned at the end of 2020. However, in the wake of an acute financial crisis and non-compliance with financial fair play, Barça lost the greatest idol in its history.
This was one of the greatest proofs that administrative incapacity can cause deep wounds that do not always heal.
Here, SPFC, under new management, begins the fight to overcome one of the most serious tribulations ever experienced. So that the C stops meaning crisis and returns to meaning club.
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