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Flamengo tests the success of a Real Madrid "clone"

Team decides title of New Basketball Brazil after copying Spanish management model \ The last game of the series against Brasília is today, at 10 am, in Rio, and the Cariocas can lift the trophy without having received the prize money from previous tournaments. \ SERGIO RANGEL\ FROM THE RIO BRANCH \ Late salaries, disgruntled players, strike threats, and empty coffers. This was the scenario for Flamengo in January, on the eve of the start of the New Basketball Brazil. Five months later, the team takes the court to decide the title after ""cloning Real Madrid's management model."\ The final against Brasília starts at 10 a.m. in Rio. The series is tied at 2-2.\

During this period, Flamengo eliminated much of its debt with athletes by revamping its basketball structure.

"We did what Florentino Pérez [president of the Spanish team] did when he arrived at the club at the beginning of the decade," declared the vice president of Olympic sports, João Henrique Areias.

In his first tenure at Real Madrid, Pérez transformed the team into one of the richest in the world. He recently returned to the club's helm. In less than a month, he signed Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Pérez, however, has already admitted that he will put Real Madrid into debt (the projected debt exceeds 60 million), trusting that the investment will be recovered within three years.

One of the pioneers of sports marketing in Brazil, Areias took over after the threat of a players' strike. He assembled a team that works from 8 a.m. to 17 p.m., filled with students from his courses, created three departments (technical, economic, and business), and managed to have other brands printed on the uniforms. Until then, the space belonged to Petrobras.

"Although everyone initially worked for free, the structure is the same as Real's. The economic and business directors serve to ensure the club's financial viability. They have complete independence and veto power," said Areias. During this period, Flamengo secured a new sponsor, launched a fan jersey line, and partnered with Loterj (the state government's lottery). Even so, it still hasn't paid the players the prizes for their Rio State and South American titles, as well as the 2008 National Championship.

"Olympic sports had become a hindrance to football clubs. We've shown that we can maintain basketball and other sports under this model. It's up to the directors and members to choose which is best," said Areias, who presented the project for the Fla Olímpico Institute, a type of company that would provide services to the club and not just run the football.

According to him, each modality would have its own professional directors, who would earn around R$10 per month. They would report to the executive coordinator, a sort of president.

"The good thing about this model is that the president is much less stressed. That's how it is at Real Madrid," said Areias.