Justice removes Ednaldo Rodrigues from the presidency of the CBF – 12/07/2023 – Sports

The president of the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation), Ednaldo Rodrigues, was removed from office this Thursday (7) by decision of the TJ-RJ (Court of Justice of Rio de Janeiro). The body appointed the president of the STJD (Superior Court of Sports Justice), José Perdiz, as an intervener in the entity.

A new election in the entity must be called within 30 days, but appeals can still be made to higher courts. During this period, Perdiz will be responsible for the entity’s administrative routines, such as paying bills.

Judges Gabriel Zéfiro, Mauro Martins and Mafalda Lucchese assessed that the MP-RJ (Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro) did not have the legitimacy to file the TAC (Conduct Adjustment Term) action agreed with the CBF in 2022.

The term paved the way for Rodrigues’ election, but has now been considered illegal by the courts.

Ednaldo signed the agreement when he held the interim presidency of the CBF, replacing Rogério Caboclo, who was removed due to allegations of harassment against the entity’s employees.

The adjustment term was the result of a lawsuit filed by the Public Ministry in mid-2018, which questioned the CBF in relation to the electoral process for the presidency of the confederation.

Some of the entity’s vice-presidents during the Caboclo administration felt harmed and questioned the validity of the agreement, now judged illegal by the courts.

The decision takes effect immediately upon notification and publication. The CBF will appeal to the STJ (Superior Court of Justice), but the entity is currently in recess. When contacted by the report, the confederation has not yet responded.

Judge Mauro Martins, who was the second to vote this Thursday, made a point of stating that the decision does not characterize external interference. “I want to make it clear that this is not external interference in the CBF. We are appointing someone from the Sports Justice [presidente do STJD], not someone external. Therefore, it cannot be considered external interference,” he said.

Also this Thursday, FIFA (International Football Federation) and Conmebol (South American Football Confederation) sent letters to the CBF warning about the risks in the case of external interference, in the case of common justice, in the entity.

In letters addressed to the general secretary of the CBF, Alcino Reis Rocha, FIFA and Conmebol reaffirmed that the statute of the world federation “obliges member associations to manage their affairs independently, without influence from third parties, including any state entities” .

Article 16 of FIFA’s statute says that any breach of such an obligation can lead to sanctions, even if the influence was not caused by the member association in question.

The highest football entity also says that it became aware that the agreement signed between CBF and the Public Prosecutor’s Office was at risk of being canceled and asked to be informed about any progress in relation to the issue. The document is signed by Kenny Jean-Marie, director of FIFA member federations.

Withdrawal at a time of crisis in the national team

The vacuum in command of the CBF occurs at a time when Ednaldo Rodrigues finds himself weakened, especially due to the recent failures accumulated by the Brazilian team, such as the fall in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup, in addition to the poor performance presented in the Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

Brazil is currently only sixth in the qualifying tournament, with seven points, eight less than leader Argentina. The distance in the table reflects what has been considered a lost year for the Canarian team, which, since the departure of coach Tite, shortly after the World Cup in Qatar, has been under caretaker command.

The first was Ramon Menezes, coach of the under-20 team. Then, from July onwards, Fernando Diniz started to manage the team, but without leaving Fluminense. His contract is for one year. After the period, the CBF hopes to announce the arrival of the Italian Carlo Ancelotti, from Real Madrid, with whom the entity says it has an agreement, although the professional has never publicly confirmed this.

The departure of Ednaldo Rodrigues makes the arrival of the Italian coach even more uncertain.

The instability favored the resurgence of opposition to the current president of the CBF, something he had not been able to deal with until now. According to the portal UOL, names like Ricardo Teixeira and Marco Polo Del Nero, former presidents of the entity, even banned from football, have been working to undermine Ednaldo’s management. They would be passing on dossiers in which they criticize what they consider to be excessive spending by the current administration, late payments and other administrative decisions.