CBF presidential candidate says he is in favor of open voting, but not in the current election – 12/29/2023 – Panel

Reinaldo Carneiro Bastos, president of the São Paulo Football Federation, said in a meeting with representatives of football clubs on Tuesday (26) that he is in favor of open voting in the election for the presidency of the CBF, but not in the current dispute, in which he is one of the candidates.

Since the departure of Ednaldo Rodrigues, dismissed by court decision in early December, the fight for succession has mobilized leaders and politicians. In addition to Bastos, Flávio Zveiter, former president of the Superior Court of Sports Justice, and Gustavo Feijó, former president of the Alagoas Federation and ally of Arthur Lira (PP-AL), stand out in the dispute. The election should take place in January.

In a recording obtained by the Panel, Bastos stated that supposed pressure on his allies means he does not defend an open vote in the election that will be held soon.

“FIFA, at no time, will tell any country what rules of the game must be followed to have an election. Regarding open voting, I am in favor. In this election, it is not good for us. We have four or five people who are blackmailed there. Bahia is one, Espírito Santo, another, Pará, another. If they know, if they have to say publicly that they vote for us, they won’t say it”, said Bastos in a meeting with members of Liga Forte Unity.

As the column showed, Bastos accused the governor of Pará, Helder Barbalho (MDB), of pressuring and threatening state leaders so that they do not support his candidacy. The emedebista would be acting to benefit Fernando Sarney, who is his ally and received endorsement from Ricardo Teixeira, former president of the CBF, to take command of the entity. Fernando is the son of José Sarney and vice-president of the CBF.

At the meeting, Bastos said that Mauricio Ettinger, president of Paysandu, and Ricardo Gluck Paul, president of the Pará Football Federation, were being pressured by Barbalho.

He further insinuated that Paul had heard threats of retaliation against his family.

“What he [Barbalho] did with Ricardo [Gluck Paul] In the Pará federation it’s a huge sadness, rude, there’s no more R$1 for the federation, it seems that his wife has an interesting public position, a competent professional. He threatened and, in short, he didn’t resist,” said the top hat, in apparent confusion, as the person holding a relevant public position under the governor’s most direct influence is, in fact, Ricardo’s sister, Ana Carolina Gluck Paul, deputy attorney general from Pará.

Registration for the presidency of the CBF requires the declared support of at least five clubs and at least eight state federations. Bastos has sought these alliances.

In a statement, Governor Helder Barbalho denied “any type of participation in conversations or applications for CBF positions”. Bastos declined to comment. The column did not receive a response from Gluck Paul and was unable to contact Ettinger.

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