Ponte Preta Faces Severe Crisis and Potential Relegation to Serie C

Ponte Preta is facing the most severe crisis in its 126 year history and is likely to be relegated to Serie C. One year after winning its first national title in 2025, the club currently sits at the bottom of Serie B with only 10 points after 25 rounds. If the team fails to defeat São Bernardo on Sunday, June 6, it will reach 20 games without a victory. This would set a new negative record for the longest winless streak in the tournament since the points system began in 2006.

The sporting decline is mirrored by a financial collapse. The club has struggled with cash flow since 2017, and players recently went on strike because salaries have been delayed for over six months. Lawyer Filipe Rino, representing the players, stated that some athletes worked for eight months but received only two months of fragmented pay. He added that the strike was motivated by both the lack of payment and the perceived abandonment by the board.

To avoid a loss by forfeit against América MG on May 30, the club fielded a team consisting entirely of youth academy players. The team lost the match 2 to 0, marking its 19th defeat in Serie B. This result tied the club with the record for the longest winless streak previously held by ABC in 2015. While some players have returned to training to avoid further damaging the institution, others are seeking legal termination of their contracts. Léo Gomes and Daniel Baianinho are among those leaving the club.

Club leadership has admitted to the crisis. President Luiz Antônio Alves Torrano stated that the club is wrong and that he cannot tell the athletes they are mistaken for protesting. Vice President of Football Marco Antonio Eberlin estimated the current debt at 380 million reais, claiming a previous administration left a liability of 400 million reais. Additionally, the team was relegated from the Campeonato Paulista this year after earning only one point in eight games.