Succession of complaints involving the entity, many of them for public knowledge for years, has been accompanied by a worrying absence of institutional response
The report published last Friday (4) by Piauí Magazinesigned by journalist Allan de Abreu, he seriously widens which was for a long time treated as a backstage noise: the existence of a deeply opaque and possibly committed structure in the heart of Brazilian football. The facts narrated not only reinforce old suspicions about the management of CBFas they also reveal, in terrifying details, the normalization of practices that seem incompatible with any minimum standard of governance, integrity and public interest.
This is not an isolated episode or punctual mismanagement. What is evident is a model that seems to have adopted repetition as a method, shield as a shield and the absence of supervision as an opportunity. Millionaire spending on private parties, gifts used as political currency, flights with money from the entity for personal purposes, super -paid supersalars with the confederation resources and an environment of power closed to renewal. All this in the face of the omission of organs that should act.
Indignation grows because Brazilian football does not belong to an entity. It is a cultural, economic and symbolic heritage of Brazilian society. And cannot continue to submit to a system that perpetuates away from the eyes of transparency and on the fringes of institutional controls.
The suspicions gain even more strength in the face of recent episodes that caught the attention of the sports environment. One of them was the increase of salaries paid to the presidents of the state federations, who jumped from $ 50,000 to $ 215,000 per month – a amount funded directly by the CBF. And as if the amount was no longer enough to generate perplexity, the leaders would still be entitled to an institutionalized “bonus”: the payment of up to 16 salaries per year. The revelation caused indignation behind the scenes and reinforces the perception that the structure of the CBF awards loyalty with disproportionate benefits, uncompatiable with the reality of national sport.
In parallel, the public statement of Ronaldo Phenomenon, former player and businessman of football, who reported finding closed doors when trying to present his project as a presidential candidate for the entity, caused a strong strangeness. According to him, of the 27 affiliated federations, 23 did not even accept to receive him for a conversation.
This scenario reveals something much deeper than administrative disagreements. Raises legitimate doubts about the existence of an environment closed to the alternation of power, impermeable to renewal proposals and committed to the perpetuation of the same leading group. All this in an entity that, although private, manages undeniable public interests and large resources that originate from the passion of millions of Brazilians.
O supporter as a structurally injured consumer
In a country where football is part of the collective soul, the fan can no longer be treated as a decorative figure. He is a consumer, as the Consumer Protection Code recognizes. He is subject to rights, as established by the fan status. And he is a citizen, whose confidence is being systematically neglected by a structure that appears to work in default of the public interest.
Each suspicion of favoring, deviation of purpose or obscure use of CBF resources directly reverberates in the experience of those who support the show. When the smoothness of competitions is doubtful, when behind the scenes gain protagonism about sports merit, what is committed to is the integrity of the whole system. The fan is injured in his legitimate expectation of transparency, equity and respect.
This is not a mere image crisis. This is a possible massive violation of collective rights, with economic, emotional and institutional impacts. Football, as a national consumer product, is being delivered without minimal guarantee of integrity. And this requires firm action from the Public Prosecution Service and the active engagement of consumer protection bodies. The fan deserves more than passing indignation. He is entitled to repair. And respect.
Institutional silence and the need for reaction from authorities and the media
The succession of complaints involving the CBF, many of them for public knowledge for years, has been accompanied by a worrying absence of institutional response. The normalization of the deviation, supported by the silence of the authorities and the inertia of control mechanisms, contributes to the maintenance of a model that is perpetuated in the midst of opacity and the absence of effective liability.
In this scenario, the Prosecution It must fully assume the role that the Constitution attributes to it. The defense of administrative morality, diffuse interests and legal order requires proactive, articulated and technically based action. The quantity and severity of the evidence revealed, added to the recent history of the entity, make any passive or limited posture to the administrative sphere incompatible.
The continuity of this silence reinforces the perception that in football there is an institutional exception regime where private structures with strong public impact operate without proper supervision. The risk that is imposed is not only sports, but also legal, economic and social.
It is also urgent that the traditional sports press fulfills its informative duty independently. Investigative journalism has already done its part by making public the facts and suspicions. Now it is necessary that the great vehicles, columnists and communicators break with the superficiality of the news and treat the theme with the seriousness it requires. Reducing these complaints to the condition of footnotes only contributes to the perpetuation of a model that challenges the most basic principles of governance.
The fan deserves more than a show on the pitch
When it comes to CBF, what is at stake is not just the smoothness of its leaders, but the integrity of a whole system that moves billions, forms athletes and feeds the imaginary of generations. What is expected of the authorities and the press is vigilance. What is expected of institutions is firmness and presence.
The time of silence needs to give way to the calculation, transparency and accountability. Because when the evidence accumulates and no one acts, what was suspicious becomes disbelief. And Brazilian football cannot continue to play at this risk.
*This text does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the young Pan.
