Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice suspended the President of the Confederation on Thursday (15.MAI.2025) on suspicion of falsification of signature
O Bahian Ednaldo Rodrigues, 71 years, and presidency and CBF (Confederation Brazilian of Soccer). A decision, outlet in this quinta-fair (15.May.2025) for the judge Gabriel Zephyr, do Tribunal of Justice do Rio of January (TJRJ), basewith na suspicion of falsification and signature do vice-chairman Coronel Nunes em one document what reinforced o can of Ednaldo within and entity.
With the departure, the interim command of the Confederation is with Vice President Fernando Sarney. It will be responsible for conducting the process to new elections. Sarney was one of the leaders who appealed to the court to ask Ednaldo to leave. This is the document (PDF – 270 kb).
Ednaldo Rodrigues interimly assumed the presidency of the CBF in 2021, after the removal of Rogério Caboclo, denounced by a employee for sexual and moral harassment. In March 2022, Ednaldo was elected to office and became the 1st black and northeastern president of the entity’s history.
The electoral process, however, was contested. In December 2023, the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice (TJ-RJ) pointed to irregularities in the election and annulled the election. The decision was suspended in January 2024 by Minister Gilmar Mendes of the Supreme Court (STF), to avoid interference from the judiciary in a private entity, which could lead to FIFA’s sanctions against Brazil.
In February 2025, the STF approved an agreement between the CBF, the entity’s Minas Gerais Football Federation and former leaders, recognizing the legality of the 2022 election and extending Ednaldo’s current term by 2026. In March, he was reelected without opposition to another term, which would go until 2030.
An earlier fact, however, was rescued. In order for the agreement approved by the Supreme Court to be valid, it was necessary to endorse Colonel Nunes-the oldest vice president and, according to the statute, who should have taken over the presidency in 2021 after the removal of Rogério Caboclo. Nunes’ signature was therefore fundamental to legitimize the agreement that formalized Ednaldo’s permanence in office.
Former leaders questioned the legitimacy of the signature, as Nunes, at the time 81 and with a history of health problems, would not have cognitive conditions to sign the document. Suspected forgery.
Signature Expertise
In 2025, Councilman Marcos Dias (Somos-RJ), chairman of the Human Rights Defense Commission of the Rio City Council, requested an expertise to assess whether the signature was false. The analysis was conducted by the expert graphics Jacqueline Tirotti, who spoke to Poder360 and explained the methods used and the conclusions of the exam.
According to Tirotti, the method applied was the graphcenetic, which is based on the movements that originate the graphic gesture, not just isolated characteristics of the signature. The exam consisted of comparing the graphics questioned (present in the agreement) with 7 Colonel Nunes subscription standards, produced between 2015 and 2023. These documents include OAB’s power of attorney, contracts and records.
The expert stated that the signatures analyzed in the documents dated January 2025 – an agreement and an power of attorney – differ from Nunes’s expert fist “In very personal and imperceptible characteristics”. Therefore, it concluded that the signature is impossible to bind to him.
In addition, Jacqueline pointed to the fragility of the document analyzed, highlighting the absence of rubrics and fixing of the leaves, which, according to her, can facilitate pages exchanges and content changes.
The expert also clarified that there was no contact with the CBF or with other stakeholders. The expertise, he said, was requested by Marcos Dias through his lawyer. Jacqueline explained that the document produced was a technical opinion, not a report. The opinion, as it is requested by a particular part, does not allow due diligence or request of documents as in the case of judicial expertise. Still, it can have a legal impact:
“There are judges who accept the opinion as evidence; others request the production of judicial report by an expert appointed by the judge”, stated.
“I don’t understand football, I don’t hope for any club and I don’t follow the subject. Therefore, upon receiving the expertise, I treated how I do with all who arrive at the office: with exemption, without considering who the parties are involved, focused exclusively on the facts. ”
TJRJ confirms counterfeiting
A decision and 19ª Chamber Civil do Tribunal of Justice do Rio of January concluded what o agreement what sustained a current administration and Confederation Brazilian of Soccer (CBF) and null. An expert confirmed what Jacqueline attested: The signature attributed to Colonel Nunes in the agreement did not correspond to his fist.
In addition, according to the TJRJ, o Coronel Nunes no he had capacity mental to manifest your willing of shape book e aware of one Cancer cerebral diagnosed from 2018. Over from that, o tribunal determined o removal and board and CBF e designated Fernando Sarney, vice-chairman more old, as intervener responsible by convene new elections within do term statutory.
Marcos Dias celebrated Ednaldo’s removal as soon as the news came out. “The court acknowledged that there was serious irregularity and that the signature of Colonel Nunes has no legal validity“, These.”This decision is not political, it is legal, and confirms everything we bring to the authorities. Now CBF needs to be returned to transparency and respect. The age of armor and abuse began to fall.”
The CBF can appeal, but for now, it is obliged to hold new elections.
