4 clubs migrate from Libra to the LFU, which has 31 teams and will feature 70% of the matches

Four clubs from São Paulo that were part of the Lb changed sides and joined the Liga Forte União (LFU). Ituano, Mirassol, Novorizontino and Ponte Preta, in addition to Botafogo de Ribeirão Preto, which had not yet joined any bloc, decided to be part of the LFU. The agreement was made official this Friday, the 26th.

All five clubs compete in Series B of the Brazilian championship. The new members understand that the joint sale of broadcasting rights with the LFU will generate more revenue. They also consider themselves to be more aligned with the principles of the division model than they were in relation to the ideas of Libra, a group led by Palm trees It is Flamengo.

The LFU now has 31 associations represented and will have almost 70% of games in the main divisions of national football. The commercial block will share the Brasileirão broadcasting rights from 2025. The group negotiates with open, pay TV and streaming platforms to broadcast the matches.

The LFU will negotiate all of its members’ matches in Series A of the Brazilian Championship as hosts. The agreements will be valid from 2025, as this year the contracts signed with Globo are still in force on all platforms – except Athletico, which only has an open TV contract with the broadcaster.

The teams in the block competing in Series A are: Internacional, Cruzeiro, Fluminense, Vasco, Athletico-PR, Atlético-GO Botafogo, Fortaleza, Cuiabá, Criciúma and Juventude. Sport, América-MG, Goiás, Ceará, Avaí, Chapecoense, Coritiba, CRB, Vila Nova, Londrina, Tombense, Figueirense, CSA and Operário are in lower divisions, in addition to the five new members. The group is advised by XP Investimentos.

“It is a great pleasure to welcome this group of clubs with whom we have always had strong bonds of respect and friendship. The arrival of these traditional São Paulo football clubs reinforces the principles of the LFU and our main objective, which is the formation of the Unified League with all the clubs ” stated Marcelo Paz, president of Liga Forte União.

“We are extremely pleased to be part of Liga Forte União”, said Adalberto Delappe Baptista, president of the Board of Directors of Botafogo-SP. “We believe in the model presented to us and that joint negotiation will generate positive results for all clubs.”

Libra, advised by BTG Pactual, has nine teams in the elite of Brazilian football: Corinthians, Palmeiras, São Paulo, Flamengo, Red Bull Bragantino, Atlético-MG, Grêmio, Bahia and Vitória. Santos is also part of the block, playing in the second division for the first time in its history, as well as ABC, Brusque, Guarani, Paysandu and Sampaio Corrêa. There are 15 teams in total.

Libra has already signed an agreement with Globo to broadcast the Brasileirão games from 2025 to 2029. Estadão recently showed that the contract should be beneficial to Palmeiras and São Paulo and could be bad for Flamengo and Grêmio. Corinthians, which has not yet signed the agreement and is evaluating other proposals, could also lose money.