FIFA gave strong support to Ednaldo Rodrigues, recently reinstated as president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), amid the turbulence over the management of the entity. A judge had removed him from office on December 7, arguing that there were irregularities in the vote that appointed him, but 27 days later the Supreme Federal Court (STF), a higher court, restored him to the position.
“We are happy and relieved with the decision of the STF that restores the president,” said Emilio García, legal officer of the governing body of world soccer, visiting Rio de Janeiro. The organization assured that it will guarantee the “autonomy” of the CBF, after threats to apply sanctions against Brazilian soccer at the national team and club level due to the court ruling that had revoked Rodrigues’ mandate.
“Brazilian football wins, not its president. When football is certain that its autonomy was restored and its clubs are going to fulfill the international competitions to which they were classified and the national teams, in the competitions, that is reestablishing Brazilian football,” García assured. The Spanish representative is expected to hold several meetings with football leaders during his visit to Brazil.
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“Return normality to Brazilian football”
Both FIFA and Conmebol had already warned that they were not going to overrule the intervener appointed in the first instance by the court. That is why García’s trip was announced, with the aim of evaluating whether the judicial rulings generate some type of external interference on the CBF.
For his part, Rodrigues stated that the time has come to “return normality to Brazilian football.” After his return to the presidency, he dismissed coach Fernando Diniz and São Paulo already anticipated that his coach, Doríval Junior, would leave office to replace him.
