Corinthians experiences new uncertainty with Esportes da Sorte – 10/02/2024 – Sports

The absence of Esportes da Sortes from the list of betting houses authorized by the Ministry of Finance to operate in Brazil increased Corinthians’ insecurity in relation to its main sponsor.

Only bets accredited by the federal government can sponsor clubs. The company states that it has met all the requirements of the department to be authorized and will request a rectification of the list.

The impasse occurs amid the money laundering investigation that has the bookmaker as one of the targets, as well as the BPX Group, which owns VaideBet — former sponsor of the São Paulo club, BetPix365 and ObaBet.

The investigation is carried out by the Civil Police of Pernambuco and is part of the case that led to the arrest of influencer Deolane Bezerra and the indictment of country singer Gusttavo Lima.

Since the suspicions were made public, Corinthians president Augusto Melo has been asked at Parque São Jorge to demand explanations from Esporte da Sorte, as well as guarantees that the company will fulfill its commitments to the club.

As the operation resulted in the blocking of Esportes da Sorte’s accounts, there is a fear in Parque São Jorge that the partner may delay or even be unable to pay the installments of the sponsorship contract. The east zone club signed a contract in July, in an agreement worth R$309 million with a three-year term.

There is also concern regarding the company’s promise, set out in the contract, to help the club finance the signing of a renowned player. The team’s chosen one was Dutchman Memphis Depay, with spells at Manchester United, Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid.

Despite the ongoing investigation, the black and white association trusts that the sponsor will pay the R$57 million of the R$70 million package for hiring Depay.

When contacted by the report, Corinthians stated that any information regarding the contract with Esporte da Sorte would be provided by the company itself. Also contacted by Sheetthe bookmaker did not respond to questions until the publication of this text.

When the contract with the player was signed, the work of the Civil Police of Pernambuco was already public. Although he received the suggestion of taking out partial or total insurance to ensure the payment of the Dutchman’s salaries, Augusto Melo reportedly refused the idea following advice from the finance department.

Despite not having specific protection for hiring the attacker, Corinthians can terminate the partnership with Esportes da Sorte at any time in the event of the nullity of the concession or revocation of the company’s operating license.

According to the UOL portal, this information is contained in article 5.2 of the contract, which also provides that the club would receive a fine of R$100 million, within 10 days from the date of termination.

Also according to the document, the club could request to break the agreement at no cost. This is because the contract has anti-corruption clauses, which include antitrust and money laundering prevention measures.

Amid concern about the future of its main sponsorship contract, Corinthians had a new loss in its board of directors. On Monday (30), legal director Leonardo Pantaleão handed in his resignation, claiming that he did not have the autonomy to make his decisions.

When talking about his resignation, he cited “significant disagreements that I systematically face in relation to the way the administration has been conducted”. He had been in the position since June.

After leaving office, Pantaleão accepted an invitation to be part of the Justice Committee of the club’s Deliberative Council, the body responsible for overseeing contracts.

Lawyer Vinicius Cascone, who held the position of general secretary of Corinthians, assisting Augusto Melo in his decisions, was chosen to be the new legal director. He is now responsible for monitoring developments regarding the situation at Esportes da Sorte and the future of the partnership with the Parque São Jorge team.