The president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), Ednaldo Rodrigues, was removed from office on Thursday, following the decision of a court which invalidated an agreement which allowed his election. A new thunderclap as the five-time world champions are going through a very complicated year, with Neymar’s serious injury and three defeats in a row during the last qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup.
“The body will have to carry out new elections within 30 days, and, until then, the president of the Superior Court of Justice (STJD) will be responsible for the administration of the CBF,” explained the 21st private law chamber of the Court of Justice of Rio de Janeiro, in a press release. This court invalidated an agreement between the CBF and the Rio prosecutor’s office, dating from March 2022, which subsequently allowed the election of Ednaldo Rodrigues at the head of the confederation until 2026. The CBF, which did not not immediately responded to requests from AFP, will appeal this decision, according to Brazilian media.
In a letter sent Thursday to the Brazilian confederation, Fifa warned that its members were “liable to sanctions” if their internal affairs were subject to external interference. One of the consequences could be the exclusion of Brazil from international competitions, such as the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia (from December 12 to 22), in which Fluminense, champion of the Copa Libertadores, the South American equivalent of the Champions League, must participate. European.
The dismissal of Ednaldo Rodrigues, the first black president of the CBF, could also have an impact on the planned arrival next June of Carlo Ancelotti as Brazil coach. Ednaldo Rodrigues was at the head of the negotiations which, according to the confederation, resulted in an agreement by the current coach of Real Madrid to take the reins of the Seleção at the end of the European season.
The Brazilian national team, whose next big meeting is the Copa America, played in the United States from June 20 to July 16, 2024, is currently led by Fernando Diniz, who combines the functions of coach with his position as coach. from Fluminense. Brazil has had a string of poor performances over the last two months during qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, with a draw against Venezuela (1-1) and defeats against Uruguay (2-0), Colombia (2- 1) and Argentina (1-0).
