Athletico has potential buyer of SAF

The sale of the Sociedade Anônima do Futebol (SAF) of Athletico It is the current work that demands exclusive dedication from the president Mario Celso Petraglia. The information was given by journalist Augusto Mafuz, columnist for UmDois Esportes, on the Carneiro&Mafuz podcast this Monday (30).

“Speaking of SAF, of Athletico… It’s time to start investigating the news about Athletico’s intentions. President Mario Celso Petraglia, today, is only working on negotiating the SAF and the main interested party would be the group of [Nelson] Tanure, the Bordeaux Fund. It’s the same one who won the Ligga bid”, said Mafuz.

“I don’t know if it’s a good thing. In any case, whether it’s good or not, at the moment, I can’t say. But Athletico is working in this direction,” he added.

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Furthermore, Mafuz also revealed that the sports campaign for the centenary year makes Furacão lose value in the market. It is worth remembering that Athletico was eliminated from the World Cups (Brazilian and South American), has not won in eight games in the Brasileirão and is close to the relegation zone.

“This campaign, I understand, is lowering the value of the club. That illusion of R$ 1.5 billion… It is no longer rational and is no longer viable. But let’s wait,” added Mafuz, who made reference to the value considered by Petraglia in the sale of Athletico’s SAF.

Athletico, Bordeaux fund and Nelson Tanure

THE Bordeaux Investment Fundfrom São Paulo, is a group nationally recognized for high-value investments.

Bordeaux stood out in the state when it won, for R$ 133.8 million, Sercomtel, a telecommunications company from Londrina. However, the even bigger deal was the purchase of the former Copel Telecom, which was renamed Ligga. In 2020, the Bordeaux Fund purchased Copel for R$2.3 billion. The value represented a premium of 70.94% in relation to the minimum sale value at auction, set at R$1.4 billion.

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In addition to businessman Nelson Tanure, who is a strong name, the company also has Hélio Costa. As Mafuz said on the podcast, Costa is a former Globo reporter and became “the face of Fantástico”. Furthermore, he also stood out for having served as former Minister of Telecommunications between 2005 and 2010, during the first government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

However, Tanure’s main brand is obtaining companies that must undergo reformulation, that is, they are in difficulties or during some type of crisis.

Tanure has a varied portfolio of companies, as it has invested in diversified segments, ranging from TIM to the oil and gas producer Prio (PRIO3), or the developer Gafisa (GFSA3). With a low profile, there are few photos of the investor and practically no official statements.

In the case of Athletico football, president Mário Celso Petraglia sees that the sale of SAF is the only way to increase values in the football department.

Ligga Arena naming rights

Announced in June 2023, Athletico announced the sale of naming rights from the Baixada Arena for the company Ligga Telecom. Since then, the stadium has been known as the Ligga Arena.

The agreement, which gave the stadium a new commercial name, represents R$13.3 million per season for Furacão. The total value of the contract is R$200 million for 15 years, which represents the third largest naming rights agreement in the country. Only Corinthians and Palmeiras, with agreements worth R$300 million for 20 years, have more advantageous agreements than Athletico at NeoQuímica Arena and Allianz Parque, respectively.