The CBF had indicated that it would stop paying for logistics expenses (travel, accommodation, arbitration, etc.), but the clubs warned that this could create financial chaos in the competition.
There are 20 clubs representing 18 different cities in the country. The majority belong to the Futebol Forte União (FFU) league and are very dissatisfied with it. The main criticisms are: poor negotiation of broadcasting rights, low quotas (between R$7 and R$13 million on average), lack of transparency in numbers and transfers, and the feeling that Series B is treated as a secondary product.
The CBF had hinted that it would stop paying for logistics expenses (travel, accommodation, arbitration, etc.), but the clubs warned that this could create financial chaos in the competition.
Faced with pressure, the CBF decided to continue paying around R$50 to 60 million in total to cover these operational costs — which avoids an immediate crisis.
In return, clubs will have to comply with stricter rules: mainly keeping salaries and financial obligations up to date, with frequent proof.
If they don’t comply, the money becomes a real loan and will be deducted later (usually from the Copa do Brasil quotas).
In other words: the CBF wants to avoid the financial collapse of Series B, but takes the opportunity to force an improvement in club governance — something that Brazilian football has needed for decades, but which always encounters a lot of resistance.
Recent research indicates that these 20 clubs together have, in a more accepted range, between 15 and 22 million fans.
The four big northeastern ones (Sport, Ceará, Fortaleza and Náutico) + Goiás and América-MG concentrate the majority of this fan base, probably 60–70% of the total in Série B.
Sport appears to have the biggest fans in the competition, followed closely by Ceará and Fortaleza.
Among the São Paulo clubs in Series B, in approximate order of support: Ponte Preta (Campinas), Botafogo-SP (Ribeirão Preto), Novorizontino and São Bernardo.
Anyway… life is hard for everyone in this division. Until next time!
Series B: CBF saves, but costs a lot.
*This text does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Jovem Pan.
