Lawyer Wilson Marqueti Junior announced this Tuesday (10) that he has given up his candidacy for the presidency of the FPF (São Paulo Football Federation) and that he will go to court to try to suspend the notice calling for the entity’s election. The declaration was given on the deadline for registration of tickets.
Former vice-president of Government Relations at the federation, Marqueti states that the entity’s current electoral process has rules that compromise the fairness of the dispute and violate principles of transparency.
Among the points questioned is the prediction of open voting in the election. According to him, the rule was defined unilaterally by the presidency of the federation, while the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) adopts secret voting in its electoral processes.
Marqueti also criticizes the fact that the notice does not present the complete list of clubs and leagues with voting rights. For him, the absence of this information compromises the transparency of the process.
Another target of questioning is the composition of the electoral commission, formed by members linked to bodies maintained by the federation itself. In the lawyer’s opinion, this structure does not guarantee independence to conduct the election.
He also states that the timing of the call makes debate between managers difficult, as clubs compete in decisive stages of state competitions, such as the finals of Series A1 and the classification and relegation stages of Series A2 and A3.
“I am immensely grateful to everyone who supported and encouraged me during this journey. The electoral rules, as they are in place, serve to stifle the opposition and intimidate dissenting voices,” he said. According to him, the decision not to register a ticket at this time was taken to legally challenge the rules of the process.
When contacted, the São Paulo Football Federation states that the entity’s electoral process is conducted “with transparency, legal rigor and full compliance with the Bylaws and the General Sports Law”. In a statement, the federation says that the electoral commission operates with “full autonomy” and is made up of independent members “with an unblemished reputation”, which would guarantee impartiality and legitimacy at all stages of the election.
The entity also states that the publication of the notice and access to the list of members eligible to vote follow the statutory rites and ensure interested parties, having met the legal requirements, the full exercise of their rights. The FPF says it has “complete peace of mind regarding the fairness of the electoral process” and states that the election will follow “its democratic course in favor of strengthening football in São Paulo.”
Marqueti left the vice-presidency of Government Relations at the FPF in 2025 and began publicly criticizing the management of the current president, Reinaldo Carneiro Bastos, whom he accuses of leading the entity in an authoritarian manner. The president registered his ticket this Tuesday, with the support of Corinthians, Palmeiras, Santos, Sao Paulo and great support from affiliated clubs and leagues.
Since 1987, when Eduardo José Farah beat Carlos Alberto de Oliveira, the election in the São Paulo federation has not had a dispute between candidates. In recent decades, presidents have been elected by acclamation.
com DIEGO ALEJANDRO, JULLIA GOUVEIA and KARINA MATIAS
LINK PRESENT: Did you like this text? Subscribers can access seven free accesses from any link per day. Just click the blue F below.
