Brasileiro side Vasco won Rio de Janeiro's Campeonato Carioca "on the field," but the Rio de Janeiro State Football Federation (FERJ) was the championship's "top of the list" in the finance department, according to Pedro Henrique Torre of ESPN. By charging a 10% tax on the Campeonato's gross income, FERJ made around R$2.5M ($817,320) this year, which surpassed Vasco's prize amount of R$2.3M ($755,000). Among the "involuntary" contributors to FERJ's profit were Brasileiro sides Flamengo and Fluminense, two sides that have been against Rio de Janeiro's football governing body. Flamengo's tax deduction totaled R$862,000 ($282,000) and Fluminense's totaled R$213,000 ($69,000) (ESPN, 5/5). BAHIA NOTÍCIAS reported Flamengo and Fluminense have spoken with the São Paulo State Football Federation (FPF) "in order to compete" in the 2016 Campeonato Paulista. The two clubs "do not agree with the determined measures imposed" by FERJ. The idea of participating in another state's championship would be to "disaffiliate" from FERJ and "weaken the power" of President Rubens Lopes. Flamengo "is planning to disaffiliate before the end of the year." All actions, however, "must be approved" first by the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) (BAHIA NOTÍCIAS, 5/4).
