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Brazil football federation appeals president's dismissal to Supreme Court / Photo: © AFP
Brazil football federation appeals president's dismissal to Supreme Court
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) on Friday appealed the dismissal of its president Ednaldo Rodrigues to the Supreme Court, a day after a lower court invalidated his employment contract over suspicions of forgery.
The dismissal of Rodrigues is a new blow for Brazilian football, which has been hoping to rebound from a series of setbacks with the imminent arrival of Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti as the new handler of the national team.
A court in Rio de Janeiro said one of the signatories of his 2025 contract was mentally unfit to sign, meaning there had been "possible forgery."
The court ruled his contract with the CBF was null and void as a result and dismissed the federation's entire board of directors.
The CBF warned Friday that the move could lead to international sanctions for the Selecao, "including exclusion from international sports competitions."
It called the ruling a "direct affront" to the constitutional order and asked the Supreme Court to suspend the decision.
On Thursday, the federation's interim president Fernando Jose Sarney said however that he would abide by the Rio court's ruling and call elections "as soon as possible."
Rodrigues' lawyers rejected his appointment as interim chief as "illegal."
Rodrigues is the first Black president of the CBF.
The 71-year-old had already been temporarily suspended in 2023 after a court found irregularities with his 2022 election.
He was later reinstated on the orders of a Supreme Court judge after FIFA threatened sanctions against Brazilian football for allowing external interference in its affairs.
At the time Rodrigues had been leading negotiations to sign Ancelotti as coach, a bid that fell apart at the time.
Ancelotti was finally appointed to the job on Monday.
Rodrigues was unanimously re-elected to his post in March.
But he has since been dogged by controversy with Brazilian cultural magazine Piaui claiming he bought the support of regional football federations by giving their presidents 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 Brazilian football, still reeling from its 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 being hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
V.Mitchell--SFF
