O Striker Dudu, currently at Atletico-MG, filed a criminal complaint against Leila PereiraPresident of Palmeiras, for statements given by her earlier this year. The player claims to have been the victim of defamation and injury, and the case is being processed at the 13th Criminal Court of the São Paulo District, with an audience scheduled for August 26.
According to the athlete’s defense, the leader’s lines aimed to tarnish the image and reputation that Dudu built throughout his career. The information about the action was initially revealed through the site “Our Palestra”. Sought, Leila stated that the case is being treated by her lawyers.
But this is not the only front involving the conflict between the two. A complaint was also filed to the Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD) for a third part, the Brazilian Union of Women, in support of the Palmeiras leader. The court’s prosecution accepted the request and formalized the prosecution, with an audience scheduled for this Friday (18).
The session was initially scheduled for June 16 at the STJD plenary in Rio de Janeiro (RJ), but Dudu’s defense requested the postponement claiming that he and the lawyer would be traveling. With this, the meeting was rescheduled for July 18. The case has not yet been officially included in the STJD agenda, but the parties have already been notified to give testimony.
Meanwhile, Leila also filed a lawsuit against Dudu.
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Dudu x Leila Pereira: How the fight started
The conflict between Leila Pereira and Dudu began in May 2024, when the player was announced by Cruzeiro after signing a pre-agreement, but turned back and ended up following Palmeiras until the end of the year, when he terminated and, in fact, went to Raposa. In January 2025, Leila publicly stated that the striker “went out through the back door”, a comment that generated a strong reaction from the athlete.
In response, Dudu published on his social networks: “The truck was heavy and sent me out of the bottom doors !!! My story was giant and sincere, different from your Lady Leila Pereira. Forget me. VTNC.”, Marking the profile of the club’s president.
Due to the expression “VTNC”, Leila Pereira filed a lawsuit against Dudu in late January and requested $ 500,000 in compensation for moral damages. On April 12, it was revealed by the website “Our Lecture” that Dudu’s lawyers claimed that the acronym was the abbreviation of “I came to work in Cruzeiro”, not a curse. Dudu’s defense had 66 pages and stated that the striker suffered bullying and psychological harassment on the way out of Palmeiras.
Processed for moral damages by Leila Pereira, president of Palmeiras, Dudu defends himself in court and says that the “VTNC” he wrote in a post on social networks meant “I came to work on Cruzeiro”.
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📸 Cesar Greco/SEP | Reproduction pic.twitter.com/vmpDLeVx2g– Football Planet 🌎 (@futebol_info) April 12, 2025
In later interviews after the change of barbs, Leila reinforced the critical tone and attributed the player’s reactions to machismo. “If it was a man, he would not have the courage to do this, as there was never in the history of Brazilian football,” he said. In May, he returned to the theme: “I have no doubt that everything this athlete did is because I am a woman.”
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