The Copa do Brasil (Brazil Cup in English) is a case very dear and near to us. It was eight years under KLEFER´s management, in which we were all in: commercial rights management, partnership with influencers and digital platforms, rebranding of the Cup and Brand, 360º management, live marketing, and being pioneers in capturing live content at football stadiums.

With a variety of partnerships, activations and historical final games, the Copa do Brasil KLEFER´s version elevated it to new reaches: it became Brazil´s largest football competition and true success business case when it comes to spectator´s experience.

To take an abandoned movie theater in Méier and to transform it into one of the greatest venues in Brazil, with international big names such as Shirley McLaine, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, as well as some Brazilian big names such as Rita Lee, Tom Jobim, Ney Matogrosso, Caetano Veloso, Tim Maia? It couldn´t have been any other way: KLEFER made the carioca from the South of the city to cross the tunnel to see unforgettable musical events at an unimaginable stage in the North part of town.

Kleber Leite’s testimonial:

Rolling Stones (2006) and Madonna (2024) were the largest musical shows ever produced at the sands of Copacabana beach. Combined, it was almost 3 million concert goers to the best of international show business. And what´s more: free and democratic.

Of course, KLEFER was there. Together with Bonus Track – one of the biggest musical promoters in Brazil – we partnered to overcome this great challenge: pay for the costs of such free events. Sure enough, our marketing work with Bonus Track attracted sponsorships which contributed to paying the costs. A total success!

The beach, soccer and the World Cup. National passions, right? KLEFER combined it all and together with Orla Rio, we created an original platform of complete visibility of activations for the many sponsors. All that in the middle of the pandemic…

During that summer of 2021/22, we created the Orla F.C (Strand Football Club in English), which from December to February gathered more than 100 participant beach kiosks from Leme to Pontal (apud Tim Maia). We broadcasted the soccer matches following Brazil at the 2022 World Cup amidst relationship actions, activations and brand visibility – among them, Estrela Bet (the largest sponsor of Orla F.C.) and Budweiser (the official sponsor of the 2022 World Cup).

The biggest classic of world football without a doubt: Brazil against Argentina! Of course. A competition of historical backgrounds since their first match over a century ago, in 1914. A true Superclassic of the Americas.

But we hadn´t had one for over 30 years… how was this possible? So KLEFER took charge of it, called the two country´s federations (CBF and AFA) and resurrected the Superclassic in great style! In 2011 and 2012, the games were played in both countries, but in 2014, we flew across the world and we played a sudden death match at the National Stadium (aka Bird´s Nest) in Beijing, China. That´s right: in China!

We did it all (well, almost everything): 360º commercial management, sponsorship attraction; match production. It was a huge commercial success. With a full house, it helped bring the national team closer to their Brazilian spectator and supporter.

The birthplace of Brazilian football is on the state championships: Paulistão, Cariocão, Gauchão, and the list goes on.

As we love a good football match at KLEFER, we decided to get involved by managing a variety of state championships such as the ones of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul.

We created innovative strategies for the commercialization of sponsorships, which helped to strengthen the local tournaments. For many years, we worked for different stadiums and cities, a variety of brands and saw new idols coming to the spotlight, and amazing stories being written.

We managed the following Championships: Paulista (2018), Carioca (2015-2020), Mineiro (2014-2016), and Gaúcho (2015-2015 and 2019). Good times!!

It´s the Lampions League. Or the Nordestão. The pride of the people of the Northeast of the Brazil, the Copa do Nordeste (Cup of the Northeast in English) is one of the most important regional tournaments in Brazilian football. Its matches are always exciting and with lots of sportive rivalry between the States, but that suffered many interruptions during its history.

KLEFER also left its mark here. After two years without any match, in 2013 we rescued the Copa do Nordeste, in partnership with Esporte Interativo, and we saw Campinense (from the State of Paraíba) be the champion for the first time. We did the 360º management of the product, and we did it again in 2018, when Sampaio Corrêa (from the State of Maranhão) was victorious. Without a doubt, we helped to economically strengthen the tournament, which has been taking place yearly since then.

Is football connected to the environment? Of course it is. And we also handled it. After all, the environment was already a hot topic for a while now, and football could not put it aside. The result was the creation of the Copa Verde (Green Cup, in English) played by the teams of the Amazon Region, plus the State of Espírito Santo (as it was already part of the Copa do Centro-Oeste – Center-West Cup, in English).

We took over the 360 management, including the commercial areas and production. And we went beyond it, we fostered sustainable actions during the Cup. One of the examples was the possibility of exchanging plastic bottles or aluminum cans for tickets by using the recycling machines installed throughout the competing cities. The trophy of the Cup was also sustainable, a symbolic way of bringing awareness to sustainability. We were Green all the way!

Conmebol Copa América (Americas Cup, in English) is very dear to our hearts. It is the Europe Cup for South America; the biggest competition between the teams of our continent, being played since 1916. We see the Cup as a child we helped raise.

For over 16 years, KLEFER (in partnership with Conmebol) developed the competition as a product, with a variety of levels of commercial and sponsorship strategies, besides also taking care of the whole production and operations of the games. We are proud to say that Copa América is what it is today, to a large extent, thanks to our marketing and sport management work.

It was the first Campeonato Mundial de Clubes da Fifa (FIFA Club World Championship in English), and it was taking place in Brazil, and of course, we couldn´t not be a part of it!

All of the supervision and production – including the production of the matches and the ticket sale – of the first Club World Championship were done by KLEFER. The final match (at Maracanã Stadium, of course) was thrilling: 73 thousand spectators on the benches watched Corinthians win (4×3 at the penalty kicks) against Vasco da Gama.

International teams such as Necaxa (México), Real Madrid, Manchester United, Al-Nassr, Raja Casablanca, and South Melbourn also competed.

Looking for a fun and well produced party, with a full house and lots of marketing? Look no further! We are there. Just take Roberto Dinamite’s and Ronaldo’s (nicknamed “Fenômeno”) parties, both mega football players and icons, and whose parties Klefer had the honor to produce.

At Dinamite’s farewell, in 1993, even Zico wore the jersey from Vasco – even though he always played at the archrival team, Flamengo. The party took place at the playoff against La Coruña, at Maracanã, where Bebeto played, and other friends of Dinamite’s.

Ronaldo’s party, in 2011, took place at a playoff of the Brazilian national team against Romania, in São Paulo. “Fenômeno” played only the first half of the game, alongside Neymar and Robinho, and he almost scored what would have been his last goal.

One can already see that we like working with big football matches, right?

For 4 years in a row we managed the great Torneio Rio-São Paulo (Rio-São Paulo Tournament, in English), which gathered the best teams in the country, and only came to an end in 2003 with the creation of the Campeonato Brasileiro (Brazilian Championship, in English), also nicknamed “Brasileirão”, making the calendar tight for other interstate competitions.

But while the matches were on, Rio-São Paulo Tournament was one of the main competitions of Brazilian football. With Klefer’s luxurious sport marketing support during its last editions, the Tournament left an important legacy: lessons on excellency, sportsmanship and sport management for all of the teams in the country.

Another Football Milestone for KLEFER.
In the 2017 and 2018 seasons, we were called upon to manage the on-field production of all Copa Sudamericana matches held in Brazil. KLEFER was chosen thanks to its extensive expertise in the production, operation, and logistics of sports events in the country. Need we say more?

In 2017, six Brazilian clubs participated in the tournament: Corinthians, Ponte Preta, São Paulo, Cruzeiro, Fluminense, and Sport. The following year, Brazil also had six teams—Atlético Mineiro, Botafogo, Athletico Paranaense, Bahia, São Paulo, and Fluminense—alongside iconic teams like Boca Juniors.

It is impossible to think of Rio de Janeiro without Maracanã. Therefore, the grand reopening of the most famous football stadium – after more than two years of reconstruction for the World Cup in 2014 – was an extremely special occasion. And the final challenge was up to KLEFER: to transform the Official Reopening of Maracanã.

The production of the match? We were on it. Ticket sales? Say no more. Full stadium? We did it! And the match? Breathtaking! A tie of 2×2 with Neymar playing its best during the first match, despite Brazil’s losing many chances to score a goal.

A party fit for the greatest stadium in the world. Mission accomplished!

To bring the biggest names in show business worldwide to Brazil also brings out great financial challenges. The amounts are much higher than our national standards and they need to be secured quickly.

In partnership with Luiz Oscar Niemeyer, KLEFER took on this challenge for two huge tours which stopped by Brazil. Our pioneer was the Beatle Paul McCartney’s first visit to Brazil, in 1990. Sixteen years later, another great test: the concert of the Irish band U2, on their third visit to the country.

In both cases, we took over the commercial sponsorship actions, and for U2, we also negotiated the broadcasting rights for TV. The total success of the commercial partnerships negotiated by KLEFER were decisive in making possible their coming to Brazil, and strengthening the country as a destination for big world tours of international music.

From 2013 to 2018, KLEFER managed the franchise of FC Barcelona’s football school in Brazil, starting with Camps (holiday clinics) in the states of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

Following the great success of the initial year, two official FCBEscola units were opened, bringing the Catalan club’s methodology to the state of Rio de Janeiro (Barra da Tijuca and Jardim Botânico). The following year, the project expanded to São Paulo (Barra Funda and Alphaville), reaching over 1,500 students.

The Camps were also introduced in the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Brasília. Subsequently, KLEFER organized two national competitions among the four states, known as the Copa Catalunya.