Luiz Eduardo Baptista, known as Bap, was elected president of Flamengo last Monday (09/12). One day after the victory, Fla’s new leader has already started planning for the 2025/2027 three-year period and has targeted João Paulo Sampaio, general coordinator of the Palmeiras base, to command the red-black base. The information was initially provided by the website “ge.com”.
The duel between Flamengo and Palmeiras promises to shake things up behind the scenes. Fla is willing to pay the R$2 million fine to remove him from the São Paulo club. People close to him revealed that the manager hesitated with the offer, but decided to stay at Palmeiras, according to GE. João even met virtually with the Portuguese José Boto, who is rumored to be Flamengo’s new football executive, but he will not go to Gávea.
The manager is seen as a base reference in Brazilian football. THE Sporting News tell more about him.
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João Paulo Sampaio: history and achievements
João Paulo Sampaio, currently 47 years old, is one of the main names linked to the success of Palmeiras’ youth teams. Born in Bahia, he began his career in football as a player and later stood out as a coach and coordinator. Before arriving at Palmeiras, he played for eight years at Vitória, where he accumulated experience both in the youth teams and in the management of professional football.
Since 2015, João Paulo took over the general coordination of the Palmeiras base, replacing Erasmo Damiani. He was responsible for consolidating a work philosophy focused on developing talent, which resulted in more than 200 titles in all categories, from under-11 to under-20, and a significant financial impact for the club. During his management, Palmeiras raised more than R$1.8 billion from sales of players trained at the academy, such as Gabriel Jesus, Endrick and Estêvão.
In addition to titles, João Paulo prioritized the training of athletes as a legacy of the club. Under his leadership, around 195 players were called up to Brazil’s youth teams. His contribution transformed Palmeiras into a national and international reference in the training of young talents. For this reason, Sampaio has already been approached by rival clubs and even by the CBF, but he always chose to continue with the Verdão project.
⚠️ NOW!
João Paulo Sampaio refuses Flamengo’s proposal and stays at Palmeiras.
🗞
📸 Cesar Greco/SEP— Planet of Football 🌎 (@futebol_info)
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What was the result of Flamengo’s election?
- Luiz Eduardo Baptista (BAP): 1,731 votes (winner)
- Rodrigo Dunshee: 1,166 votes
- Maurício Gomes de Mattos: 363 votes
- Nulls: 7 votes
- Whites: 5 votes
What are Bap’s promises for his term?
Luiz Eduardo Baptista highlighted the following promises in his campaign for the presidency of Flamengo:
- Deepen the professionalization of the club: implement more qualified and efficient management in all areas, not just football.
- Construction of our own stadium: making the dream of an exclusive stadium for Flamengo come true.
- Keep the club without membership in the SAF (Football Corporation): preserve the current administrative structure.
- Seek sporting hegemony: consolidate Flamengo as a reference on the national and international scene.
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How did the Flamengo elections work?
They were eligible to vote as members of the club with at least three years of association life. The number was around 5,880 people. Only Flamengo members who are part of the General Assembly had the right to vote.
For the first time, the Rubro-Negro election featured electronic voting machines, provided by the TRE-RJ (Regional Electoral Court of Rio de Janeiro).
