Atlético-MG fans protest against SAF at the club

Dissatisfaction with the management of Atlético-MG 's Sociedade Anônima do Futebol (SAF) has reached a new level. After the revelation of delays in payments to players, the club's fans staged protests on Tuesday night (July 22) in Belo Horizonte, with banners criticizing the current management and the project's investors.

The protests were recorded in front of the club's headquarters in the Lourdes neighborhood, and also at the headquarters of Banco Inter in the Santo Agostinho neighborhood, where one of the club's main shareholders operates. The banners displayed slogans such as "We demand respect," "Worst SAF on the planet," and "Out with the 4 Rats," in direct reference to the businessmen known as the "4 Rs," a group of investors led by Rubens Menin.

Rony in action for Atlético MG (Photo: Disclosure/Atlético MG)

In fact, one of the banners displayed in front of Banco Inter mocked Galo's financial problems, asking: "Do you pay salaries here?" The protest was sparked by the release of extrajudicial notices sent by athletes to the club demanding payment of salaries, image rights, and bonuses.

Among the players who mobilized were names like Igor Gomes, Guilherme Arana, Gustavo Scarpa, and Júnior Santos. Rony, a striker signed in February, even filed a lawsuit in the Labor Court requesting termination of his contract, although he withdrew the lawsuit a few hours later.

The athletes' movement, however, sparked internal divisions. According to an investigation, some members of the squad did not support the decision to formalize the charges, which sparked backstage debate. Even so, the mobilization resulted in a response from the board, which scheduled a meeting for Wednesday (July 23) at Arena MRV to discuss the situation and propose solutions.

As events unfolded, journalist Flávio Prado weighed in on the athletes' behavior and was emphatic in his analysis: "The passivity of the athletes, who endure sacrifices and go without pay, contributes greatly to the constant defaults in our football. Congratulations to the Atlético-MG players. Let this serve as an example."

The club's board, in turn, confirmed outstanding issues involving FGTS (Severance Indemnity Fund), bonuses, and image rights. Rubens Menin, a representative of the SAF, posted a message on social media affirming its commitment to the players and criticizing what he called misguided decisions based on conflicting information.

In an interview with Rádio Itatiaia, Galo's football coordinator, Paulo Bracks, revealed that an agreement was reached with Rony, ending the impasse. According to him, all the rough edges were smoothed out to preserve the internal environment.