Corinthians seeks to clarify a possible misunderstanding involving the payment of commissions in sponsorship negotiations with VaideBet. Rede Social Media Design, an intermediary company that will receive a considerable commission of R$25.2 million, is at the center of this controversy.
The suspicion is that the company may have acted as an intermediary in a shady operation. In this way, using Neoway Soluções Integradas em Serviços Ltda as a facade.
The club summoned Alex Cassundé, owner of Rede Social Media Design and a figure linked to Augusto Melo’s campaign for the club’s presidency, to provide clarification on the case.
The deadline set for Cassundé to respond and provide clarifications ends in the first week of June. Meanwhile, Corinthians continues to await answers and, in parallel, requested an investigation by Ernst & Young, an auditing company.
Understand the controversy and crisis in the sponsorship contract with Corinthians
The issue surrounding the master sponsorship contract has generated agitation both inside and outside Corinthians. Now opposition members are questioning the terms of the deal.
The controversy deepens with the revelation that a significant portion of the commission was allocated to the Social Media Design Network, owned by Alex Cassundé.
Corinthians issued an official note, reaffirming the legality of all negotiations and denying responsibility for transferring amounts to third parties.
However, the controversy widened with the revelation of an alleged payment demand made by Marcelinho, the club’s administrative director, to Alex Cassundé, without authorization from the financial director.
Thus, this interference generated discomfort and shook relations between the parties involved, especially after statements by President Augusto Melo, who defended the integrity of the administration and questioned the intentions of the critics.
VaideBet Positioning
Last Friday (24), VaideBet issued an official note about the case. “VaideBet informs that it has been closely following the publications and demonstrations involving the commissioning of the sponsorship contract for Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, and that since April it has been requesting clarification on the case.
During the last few weeks, VaideBet requested information from Corinthians on different occasions and held a face-to-face meeting at the club’s headquarters on May 8th, in addition to sending a statement to the board last Monday (20th).
From the outset, VaideBet was contacted by an intermediary agent about the possibility of signing an agreement for master sponsorship of Corinthians and was taken by the aforementioned intervening party to the club’s board of directors to begin negotiations.
There was never any contact with any other company regarding negotiations for the sponsorship agreement. Therefore, VaideBet is carefully observing developments in the current scenario and evaluating the next steps.”
