The result is already defined. But even though this Sunday’s election, at 10:30 am, at the headquarters of the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation), in Rio de Janeiro, is a formality to acclaim Samir de Araújo Xaud, 41, as the president of the entity, she will highlight a crack between clubs and the Confederation.
A doctor, born in Boa Vista, the capital of Roraima, recently elected to command the federation of his state from 2027, Xaud was named as a candidate for the position at CBF less than 24 hours after Ednaldo Rodrigues was removed from the chair of president, by decision of Rio’s court.
On the 15th, Judge Gabriel Zefiro considered void the agreement that validated the first election won by Ednaldo. The order was based on the questioning of the authenticity of the signature of Antonio Carlos Nunes de Lima, Colonel Nunes, in the term that benefited Ednaldo. Zefiro quoted Nunes’ “mental disability” to participate in the act.
Unknown in the national scenario, Samir Xaud obtained, less than 48 hours after the departure of Rodrigues, gathering the support of 25 of the 27 state federations, which made the attempt of Reinaldo Carneiro Bastos, president of the FPF (Paulista Football Federation), to participate in the election.
By the statute in force at the entity, a candidate needs the support of at least eight federations and five clubs to form a plate. Only the entities that command the football of São Paulo and Mato Grosso did not join the Samir Block, which also attracted ten teams, four from Serie A: Vasco, Botafogo, Palmeiras and Grêmio.
The CBF electoral system also provides for a greater weight to federations in the counting of the votes. In the election, Serie A teams have weight 2, Serie B teams have weight 1 and federations have weight 3.
The requirements for the formation of the plate, as well as the weight of clubs, are motives for criticism from the teams. A group of 21 clubs decided not even to participate in the vote for disagreeing with this system.
Among the Serie A teams are part of the block: Corinthians, Cruise, Flamengo, Fluminense, Fortaleza, Internacional, Mirassol, Santos, Sao Paulo and Youth. From Serie B signed: América-MG, Athletico-PR, Atletico-GO, Botafogo-SP, Chapecoense, Coritiba, Cuiabá, Goiás, Novorizontino, Sport and Operário-PR.
In a joint note, the clubs said they do not agree with the current process: “We will be ready to talk to the new management, starting next week, so that together we can debate how to change the electoral process and other demands of clubs for the increasingly better football.”
The rapid electoral process in the CBF and the limited representativeness of the clubs irritated many leaders.
“Almost 75% of clubs showed legitimate desire [de ter um candidato]and this desire cannot even go to the election, it cannot even be disputed. The current electoral model was not made so that the will of the clubs can prevail, “said Marcelo Paz, president of CNC (National Council of Clubs) and LFU (Liga Forte União) and CEO of Fortaleza.
“Clubs require greater protagonism. These are the clubs that have fans, there is no federation fan,” added Alessandro Barcellos, president of the International.
Despite criticism, in the launch of his candidacy, Samir Xaud’s plate said the block was born “with the commitment to transform the administration of football through transparency, inclusion and modernization of management.”
President of the Para Federation, Ricardo Gluck Paul, said that everyone is a “partner of the same pain” and believes that “this initial distance is being overcome as the dialogue is established with more transparency and firmness.” Paul will be one of the eight vice-presidents of the CBF.
The mandate of the new CBF president will be in force from 2025 to 2029.
