The week he hired a new coach for the Brazilian team after his position is vacant for 45 days, the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) had its president, Ednaldo Rodrigues, removed by decision of the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice, on Thursday (15).
Interventor appointed by Judge Gabriel Zefiro, Fernando Sarney summoned this Friday (16) the next election in the top entity of Brazilian football. The election is scheduled for May 25, a Sunday, the eve of the date of presentation and the first call of Carlo Ancelotti as coach of the Canarinho team.
The arrival of the Italian was Ednaldo’s main card to contain the CBF crisis and try to stay in his chair despite his actions against his management in Rio, the Supreme Court (STF) and the Confederation’s own ethics committee.
On Monday (12), even before Ancelotti or Real Madrid announce the end of the relationship between the parties, the CBF anticipated and released the hiring of Italian, ahead of the Spanish team since 2021.
The hurry was an attempt to stifle Ednaldo’s call to appear at a hearing at the Rio de Janeiro TJ-RJ (Court of Justice), which investigates the authenticity of the signature of Antonio Carlos Nunes Lima, Colonel Nunes, in the agreement that validated the first election won by Ednaldo.
The former confederation’s vice did not attend health reasons. Prior to marking a new date, Gabriel Zefiro decided to annul the term “due to the mental disability and possible forgery of the signature of one of the signatories, Antonio Carlos Nunes de Lima, known as Colonel Nunes.”
The decision of the judge also determined that the designated intervener should call a new election as soon as possible, as he did this Friday Fernando Sarney.
The CBF General Assembly participates the presidents of the 27 state federations (weighing 3 in the vote), the representatives of the 20 clubs in Serie A (Weight 2) and the presidents of the 20 Serie B clubs (weight 1).
On March 24, as a single candidate, Ednaldo Rodrigues had been elected for the March 2026 to March 2030 term by acclamation, with the support of the entire electoral college.
Less than two months later, a block of 19 of the 27 federations abandoned the top hat. In a manifesto for the “stability, renewal and decentralization of Brazilian football”, the leaders demonstrated union around the search for a name to apply for office.
Even though Ednaldo tries to appeal in the Supreme Court against his removal, the federations movement indicates that their top hats do not believe in twist in the situation of the removed president. The number of 19 federations is significant because it represents 57 votes in the election of the CBF.
The legal advice of the CBF presidency, however, qualified the ruling of Rio de Janeiro’s decision as a “direct affront” to the constitutional order and asked the STF precautionary measures to suspend it.
The appeal must be analyzed by Minister Gilmar Mendes. People close to the magistrate say they have become unlikely to stay Ednaldo in the CBF command.
Before assessing this appeal, on May 28, the Supreme Court (STF) will continue the judgment of the ADI (Direct Unconstitutionality Action) 7580, which evaluates the legitimacy of the Public Prosecution Service to sign this type according to sports entities. It was with such a term, besides a preliminary decision, that Ednaldo remained in office.
In the block of the 19 federations that released the hand of the top hat, the name of Samir Xad, Roraima’s leader, comes hard to run for the election. He was elected to command the federation of his state from 2027, succeeding his father, which will turn 40 ahead of the FRF (Roraimense Football Federation) in 2026.
Another name that gains strength is that of the president of the FPF (Paulista Football Federation), Reinaldo Carneiro Bastos. The entity under its command is not among the Signals of the Manifesto, but it would have the support of LFU clubs (Liga Forte União) and Libra, the two blocks that commercially represent the teams of the series A and B of Brazilian football.
The announcement for the election will be published this Saturday. The plates must be recorded between May 18 and 20. The term of office of the quadrennium is from 2025 to 2029.
While the CBF organizes its new election, FIFA (International Football Federation) seeks to better understand the situation of taking any action.
The statute of the top entity of world football states that decisions of the Common Justice that interfere with the autonomy of FIFA affiliated entities can generate sanctions, including the suspension of teams and clubs in international competitions. Ednaldo’s removal could fit these terms.
With an eye on the 2026 World Cup, as one of his latest acts before being dismissed by the court, the top hat has topped a salary of $ 5 million a month to convince Carlo Ancelotti to take over the Canarinho team just over a year for the start of the World Cup, with the mission of preventing CBF’s institutional crisis from disturbing the team’s journey in the tournament.
