One day after Sao Paulo suffered one of the worst defeats in its history, 6-0 to Fluminense, in the Brazilian Championship, Morumbi’s director of football, Carlos Belmonte, left his position.
Along with Belmont, Nelson Marques Ferreira and Fernando Bracali Ambrogi, who were working in the football department, also left.
“CEO Rui Costa and coordinator Maurice Ramalho will remain in charge of football and planning for 2026,” Sao Paulo said in a note posted on social media.
In a historic night for Fluminense and one that São Paulo will never forget, the Rio tricolor team suffered the heaviest defeat in the confrontation between the two teams, equaling the same result it achieved in 2002, but with a São Paulo victory.
Coach Hernan Crespo’s team entered the field with 15 absences, 13 of which were due to injury and the suspension of goalkeeper Rafael and defender Sabino.
The lack of options and the presence of Belmonte and club president Julio Casares in the match that was held at the Maracanã Stadium in the 36th round of the Brazilian championship were widely criticized by the fans after the defeat.
On Friday, Casares called for an interview at Barra Funda CT and said that the changes that had occurred internally in the board were necessary.
“We expected changes after the end of the Brazilian League and we had to move forward with this process,” Casares said.
He added that he is one of the club presidents “most present” at matches in stadiums. According to the director, the biggest priority at the present time is to work on searching for investments for the club, with the goal of the 2026 season.
The president also stated that CEO Marcio Carlomagno, who has been working as administrative supervisor since October, will move to the position of CEO, in a job aimed, according to the manager, at professionalizing the club.
“The CEO, as the second person (in the hierarchy) of the organization, begins to share interest with me in all other areas.”
Carlomagno’s appointment has already freed up Belmonte, whose name is considered within the club as a potential candidate for the 2026 election, with the current chief executive being named as the name of the position. In this scenario, Belmont’s departure from the current board was already expected, and the pace of his departure accelerated with Thursday’s defeat.
After the match in Rio de Janeiro, midfielder Luiz Gustavo, one of the most experienced players in the group, called on the board to take action to change the team’s position.
“I am a man who learned to be honest since I was born, and nothing happens by chance, and today it was not by chance. Sao Paulo is an institution that I have learned to love, but unfortunately we have to start telling the truth. People have to come and bear some situations, because here we show our faces,” said the player.
He added: “It is our fault, of course, and the players’ fault that we spoiled today, but this club is very big, and it deserves to have a direction, a clear plan, what we want from the beginning until the end of the season, and what we want as people here in this club.”
Casares stated that he saw the statements “normally,” given the frustration that the athlete felt immediately after the defeat.
The Sao Paulo president said: “He is a great professional. He did not refer to A, B or C. It is a collective issue. In this issue of collective errors, there is the president, the football board, the technical committee and the athletes. But now it is time to look forward.”
With the defeat against Fluminense, Sao Paulo stopped at 48 points, in eighth place, and distanced itself from the struggle for a place in the Libertadores. Fluminense reached 48th place and temporarily jumped to fifth place in the standings, with a direct place in the continental championship.
In the next round, Fluminense will play against Gremio, in Porto Alegre, on Tuesday (2), and host Sao Paulo Internacional in Vila Belmiro, on Wednesday (3).