The Santos Deliberative Council is scheduled to vote on the club’s new statute next Monday (18) at Vila Belmiro. A special commission has spent two and a half years reviewing 105 articles, which received 89 amendments. Council members will analyze the articles, paragraphs, and subclauses during the session.
More than 200 councilors are entitled to vote in the meeting, set for 7:30 PM (Brasília time) at Vila Belmiro. The club’s main organized fan group has announced a protest outside the stadium at the time of the vote.
The Statute Commission was appointed by President Marcelo Teixeira. Among the proposals, one amendment aims to move the presidential election date from December to October. The justification is to extend the transition period between administrations.
The duration of the vote remains uncertain, but proceedings will be interrupted on Tuesday (19) and Wednesday (20) due to Santos’ match against San Lorenzo at Vila Belmiro in the Copa Sudamericana. The pause is due to logistical issues involving CONMEBOL. The vote is expected to last at least until the end of the week due to the number of articles still requiring councilor analysis.
If approved by the Deliberative Council, the new statute must still be voted on by club members in a General Assembly, which should take place within 30 days.
Controversies Surrounding the New Statute Vote
The main point of debate among fans involves the minimum time requirement on the Deliberative Council for a member to run for club president. The initial proposal required three consecutive terms, but the text was softened to two. If this amendment is rejected, alternatives will be voted on that require only one term or even eliminate the prior council participation requirement entirely.
Regarding the SAF (Sociedade Anônima do Futebol), the new statute allows the sale of between 49% and 90% of the future corporation’s shares, expanding the initially debated ceiling. The measure aims to attract investors interested in taking majority control of the club’s football operations.
Another issue that sparked fan reaction was the timing of the new statute vote, which coincides with the Brazilian national team’s World Cup call-up. Some supporters believe the scheduling is an attempt to divert attention from the voting process. Council members, however, claim difficulties in aligning the schedules of key participants and state the date was set earlier due to the urgency of forwarding the text to members if approved by the Deliberative Council.
