See how SAF can shift the power balance between rivals in player training

For years, Vasco tried to follow the same path as Fluminense in the youth categories: training players in sufficient quantity and quality to supply the professional team and then trade them to European football, generating cash flow to pay the bills. It never managed to the same extent, which helps explain why one is still a club and the other had to become SAF. But it is precisely in the sale of the Maltese cross to 777 Partners that the dynamics between rivals in tomorrow’s classic could change.

Will be on the field, for the tricolor, André and Martinelli, both offspring of Xerém. On the Colina side, Gabriel Pec is the highlight, finally blossoming among the professionals, with four goals in four games this year. Marlon Gomes, another big name, is with the under-20 team in the South American competition.

In Laranjeiras, the biggest concern, for some time now, is to manage to reduce the need to sell revealed talents. Keeping André in the team for a longer time, despite the appreciation for the European market, would be a feat that Vasco, with the SAF, was now able to achieve with more peace of mind, at least in theory. The tricolor refused a proposal of 20 million euros (about R$ 111 million) from Fulham, from England, for considering the sale out of the question until the end of 2023.

One of the promises, in the process of creating and selling the joint-stock company to 777, was that, freed from financial asphyxiation, Vasco football will be able to better negotiate players formed in the base categories. Without the same rush as before and for higher values. The sale of Andrey Santos to Chelsea-ING is considered to be the last under pre-SAF conditions. The values ​​(12.5 million euros, about R$ 70 million) were considered below the potential of the player, who left the club without playing a single Serie A match.

It’s the kind of scenario that generates criticism in Laranjeiras. Last year, Luiz Henrique went to Betis-ESP amid the good phase of the team coached by Fernando Diniz and his departure may have made the difference for the year of good campaigns, but without the dreamed title. Hard to nail. What is certain is that the 13 million euros (R$ 72.5 million in today’s quotation) from his sale were essential for Fluminense to pay off the commitments.

Learning made Fluminense better deal with the sale to Udinese-ITA of Matheus Martins, who would end up being loaned to Watford-ING. The negotiation was underway, with the tricolor managing to raise the initial proposal value of 4 million euros, to 9 million euros (about R$ 46.8 million). The exit at the end of the year had no negative impact.

Abyss in the last decade

The difference in the amount moved by Fluminense and Vasco referring to the sale of players trained in the clubs is impressive. In the last decade, in just three years, the Maltese cross managed to do more substantial business than the tricolor. The sum of those involved in the negotiations, on the side of the Laranjeiras club, is more than R$ 740 million. Already around São Januário, around R$ 400 million. The values ​​are from the Transfermarkt website and do not necessarily represent what the clubs raised. Both have a history of slicing up the economic rights of pledges to generate urgent revenue.

The main explanation for Fluminense’s better results is the difference in infrastructure available to the boys. While the tricolor has the Xerém training center in operation in the current molds since 2007, Vasco still has not finalized its base CT, in Duque de Caxias.

Another promise of SAF do Vasco is to equip the space and thus optimize training. If it happens, the tendency is that, over time, the difference between the performances of rivals will decrease.