Fresh woes for Brazil football as federation boss dismissed
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Mr Ednaldo Rodrigues has been dismissed over suspicions that a signature in his employment contract was forged.
PHOTO: REUTERS
RIO DE JANEIRO – A court in Rio de Janeiro on May 15 ordered the dismissal of Brazilian football federation head Ednaldo Rodrigues over suspicions that a signature in his employment contract was forged.
The decision marks a new blow to Brazilian football, which celebrated some rare good news just two days ago with the announcement that Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti will take the reins of the national team later in May.
The Rio court said one of the signatories of Rodrigues’ 2025 contract had been mentally unfit to sign, meaning there had been “possible forgery”.
As a result, the judge ruled in a judgment that the employment agreement between Rodrigues and the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) was “null” and void.
The judge also ordered that the federation hold new leadership elections.
The CBF’s interim president Fernando Jose Sarney said in a statement that the federation would abide by the ruling and call elections “as soon as possible”. But Brazilian media reported that the body had also appealed the judge’s ruling to the Supreme Court.
Rodrigues, the first black president of the CBF, told journalists at a Fifa meeting in Asuncion, Paraguay, ahead of the ruling that he had “absolute certainty” the document was valid.
He had already been temporarily suspended in 2023 after a court found irregularities with his 2022 election, but was reinstated on orders of a Supreme Court judge after Fifa threatened sanctions against Brazilian football.
Fifa and the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) had refused to accept Rodrigues’ 2023 ouster, warning the CBF it could be barred from international competitions if it allowed external interference in its affairs.
In March, Rodrigues was unanimously re-elected to his post until 2030, as the sole remaining candidate after former star forward Ronaldo pulled out of the running.
Weeks later, however, he found himself again in hot water following an investigation by Brazilian magazine Piaui into the workings of the CBF.
The article claimed Rodrigues bought the support of leaders of regional football federations towards his election by giving them a big salary boost.
The CBF had been hoping that landing Ancelotti, the most successful coach in European Cup history, would help turn the page on a bruising period for Brazil, still reeling from their historic 4-1 thrashing by Argentina in March.
The team’s last coach, Dorival Junior, was sacked over that performance.
The record five-time World Cup winners are languishing in fourth place in the South American qualifying table for next year’s tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada. AFP
