After leaving Athletico, CEO takes over Arab team and highlights “autonomy”

After leaving his position as CEO of Athleticoin July this year, Alexandre Leitão He has a new house. The director announced this Monday (4) that he took over Neom SC, a second division team in Saudi Arabia.

In a text on social media, Leitão highlighted that “trust and autonomy” were factors he sought in a new project after leaving Furacão. The director left Athletico after differences with president Mario Celso Petraglia.

“Since leaving Athletico Paranaense, on July 8th of this year, I have been looking for a project that can challenge me and give me the confidence and autonomy necessary to generate a relevant impact in the Sports and Entertainment industry and leave a legacy for the future” , wrote the professional.

“And today, with great enthusiasm, I announce my appointment as CEO of Neom Sports Club, a prestigious institution that is part of an innovative and disruptive project in Saudi Arabia,” he continued.

“Neom Sports Club, with football as its core sport, plays a key role in the vision of promoting sporting excellence and community engagement in this innovative region. I look forward to leading this journey and working alongside an exceptional team to elevate the club to new heights, aligning ourselves with the transformative objectives of the Neom initiative”, added Leitão.

Leitão left Athletico after disagreements with Petraglia

Alexandre Leitão stayed at Athletico for 181 days, between January and July. The relationship between the CEO and Petraglia already suffered some friction, but a disagreement between the two was the trigger for the manager to leave the club.

The then CEO had stayed in Curitiba to monitor his daughter’s surgery and did not travel to Goiânia with the delegation for the match against Atlético-GO, in the 15th round of the Brasileirão. The decision displeased Petraglia. With the conflict, Leitão asked to leave Furacão.

The CEO was responsible for trying to bring the team closer to the fans this season. It was Leitão’s management that implemented the new ticket policy adopted by Athletico this year. The club, which previously charged high prices for game tickets, considerably reduced prices, attracting more fans to the stadium.

Another action promoted was giving a team shirt to members who attended 25 games during the season. Furthermore, Leitão wanted to paint the Ligga Arena to make the stadium “more red-black”. However, the idea was later vetoed by Petraglia.

Neom SC wanted to hire Coritiba’s jewel

The Arab second division team offered 12 million dollars to sign attacking midfielder Lucas Ronier, the jewel of the Coritiba.

The transaction would mark the biggest sale in Alviverde’s history. However, club and player refused the proposal, as they prioritize a possible sale to Europe.