Brazilian football indicated suspension

Brazilian football may face problems due to an administrative crisis in its governing structure. The International Football Federation (FIFA) threatens the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) with sanctions up to and including suspension of the national team and clubs from competitions due to possible violations of FIFA regulations that do not allow “undue influence” on the activities of the national association by “third parties.” In this case, signs of such activity were discovered by the parent football organization during the process of organizing emergency presidential elections in the CBF. They were needed after the court removed its former head, Ednaldo Rodriguez, from office, finding irregularities during previous elections.

A number of sources have reported that the International Football Federation is threatening serious sanctions against the Brazilian Football Confederation. And ESPN provided the full text of the letter sent to the CBF by representatives of FIFA and CONMEBOL, the regional association uniting the countries of South America. It states that a whole package of measures can be applied to the Brazilian structure. This includes the suspension of FIFA membership, which, according to the text of the letter, will mean that the CBF, the teams and clubs that represent it, including the national team, “will no longer be eligible to participate in any international competitions.” In addition, “neither CBF nor any of its partners or directors will be able to benefit from any development programs, courses or training by FIFA and/or CONMEBOL while the suspension is in effect.”

It follows from the document that the parent football structure was concerned about the possible violation by the national association of two articles of the FIFA Charter – the 14th and 19th. Among other things, they state that federations that are members of FIFA “must be governed independently and without undue influence from any third parties.”

Moreover, disqualification is provided even in cases where such influence did not occur through the fault of the association.

The reason for the letter was the administrative crisis in the CBF. In 2021, Rogerio Cabuklu was forced to resign from the post of its president amid allegations of sexual harassment, abusive behavior and alcohol abuse. Ednaldo Rodriguez was appointed interim president. He sits on the FIFA Council and has until now been considered a loyal ally of its head Gianni Infantino. But Mr. Rodriguez’s work in a key position at CBF did not work out either. In March 2022, he won the presidential election, getting rid of the prefix and. o., however, suspicions soon arose that they were carried out dishonestly. The Rio de Janeiro court, which studied the details of the scandal, confirmed the suspicions in early December by annulling the results of the conference, and appeals to a higher rank did not help Ednald Rodriguez.

FIFA did not seem to like the way the Brazilian authorities chose to resolve the crisis.

The Rio de Janeiro court ordered José Perdiz, the head of Brazil’s Supreme Sports Court, to supervise the holding of new elections, and Mr. Perdiz, in turn, demanded that they be held within 30 days – a deadline compressed to the limit, despite the fact that FIFA principles require that candidates have enough time to develop and present their programs.

Now the international federation itself has decided to intervene in the election process. The letter notes that during the week of January 8, representatives from FIFA and CONMEBOL will be in Brazil to meet with “stakeholders to examine the current situation.” True, Jose Perdiz was not at all frightened by the news. He responded with a statement in which he called the publication of FIFA’s letter a “positive sign” and promised to organize the elections “within the established deadline” and with the “required level of transparency.”

Alexey Dospehov