“We are ready!” The statement came from SDC Sports executive Jesse Fioranelli and marked the extraordinary meeting of the Deliberative Council (CD) on Monday night at Vila Belmiro. The meeting allowed the company’s representatives to introduce themselves to the council members and explain why the group became interested in the SAF of Santos Futebol Clube. The presentation of the proposal was not scheduled for this meeting.
Fioranelli was joined at the table by SDC co-founder Diego Garcia and managing partner Michael Lipman. In addition, consultants David Kirsch and Peter Cohen were also present at the meeting.
The representatives made it clear that the company is ready to finalize the investment and stated that the Club’s electoral situation does not interfere with, nor is it of any relevance to, SDC Sports’ future decisions.
The process to select SDC Sports was conducted with XP Investimentos and, after progressing with 62 investors and several meetings throughout the process, it was concluded that SDC Sports was the group that best presented and brought together the conditions to collaborate with the future of Santos FC.
President Marcelo Teixeira spoke about the importance of the meeting: “Today we had a meeting to introduce the group to the male and female council members, as was on the agenda. It was essential to understand their profile, the way they invest, how they have also worked in football, and the profile of the investors. The executive board has always been careful regarding the SAF matter, but, as we concluded all the documentation today, it is now up to the Deliberative Council to understand this procedure and vote on the necessary statutory changes so that, if it is the wish of the council and the membership, the change to SAF may occur—or not.”
For 11 months, the company studied the entire structure and current situation of Santos FC, in addition to having experience in raising capital and bringing together investments. The investor families in the group placed full trust in the executives.
They also stated that Santos FC was chosen because it is an iconic brand, recognized worldwide. “The Club develops world-class talent and has a passionate, engaged fan base. We know there is a need to strengthen Santos FC so that it can once again achieve, with greatness, everything that brought us here today,” said Jesse Fioranelli.
Jesse also emphasized the importance of discipline in capital management. He added that the team they have assembled has great excellence and is focused on structural improvements and enhancing athlete development.
The executives also stressed that the Club’s sovereignty will be maintained. They said they are fully willing to learn from the council members, members, and fans, and to increasingly understand the greatness of Santos FC, respecting work processes in order to lead changes with clarity.
“Rebuilding requires a long-term vision. We see this journey in three stages: conviction in the project, transition to high-performance standards, and strengthening the Santos identity, creating the foundations for sustainable long-term growth. With this long-term plan, Santos FC will return with tremendous strength to compete in every competition it enters,” Jesse concluded.
The three main executives:
Diego Garcia – Co-Founder, ST. Dominique Capital & SDC SportsHe is an investor with an extensive track record in the global financial market. Expertise in mergers and acquisitions, structuring complex transactions, and fundraising.
Michael Lipman – Managing Partner, SDC Sports
Michael is a senior executive with experience in the international sports market. He has worked on different fronts in football in digital transformation processes and in the development of a new commercial strategy.
Jesse Fioranelli – Senior Sports Advisor, SDC SportsHe has extensive experience as a football executive, having worked at renowned clubs such as Milan, Roma, and Lazio. He also has vast day-to-day football expertise.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.
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