Santos closes the semester with a deficit of almost R$43 million and raises the alarm

Santos presented its second-quarter 2025 balance sheet to its board members this week, confirming a deficit of R$42.9 million between April and June. This figure exceeds the initial forecast of a negative R$38.8 million and puts pressure on the board, which will have to review the budget in November.

Adding up the first two quarters of the year, the difference between the projected and actual balance reaches 29.51%. This figure is driven primarily by the impact of Neymar 's first contract upon his return to the club.

According to the report, the Fiscal Council attributed the biggest imbalances to the roster overhaul, which included 10 reinforcements at the start of the season, including Neymar, Rollheiser, Thaciano, Tiquinho, Zé Rafael, Deivid Washington, Gabriel Verón, Leo Godoy, Zé Ivaldo, and Barreal. Soteldo also returned after being loaned to Grêmio in 2024.

Some of these players have already left Vila Belmiro. Deivid Washington returned to Chelsea, Verón was traded to Juventude , and Leo Godoy will play for Independiente-ARG. Soteldo himself was sold to Fluminense for R$40 million, a figure that will only be included in the next balance sheet.

Recent surplus gives Santos breathing room

Despite the negative outlook for the first half of the year, the board celebrated a surplus of R$54 million in the last transfer window. After all, there were 17 departures and eight arrivals, with only two reinforcements requiring investment in economic rights: Frías and Caballero.

Thus, the club estimates that the most recent negotiations should generate R$106 million in revenue by the end of the current administration, led by Marcelo Teixeira. Among the main transactions are the sale of Luca Meirelles to Shakhtar Donetsk for R$63 million, the loan of goalkeeper João Paulo to Bahia for R$1.6 million, and the transfer of Diego Borges to Amazonas for R$318,000.

To try to curb spending and reduce debt, the Fiscal Council presented a list of suggested measures to the board, including reducing the payroll and adopting a cap proportional to guaranteed revenue, prioritizing youth athletes.

Thus, the expectation is that revenue from sales and new sponsorships will provide some balance. However, the club will still face a season of significant adjustments to stabilize its accounts.

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