May 23 – Brazilian football clubs will boycott the CBF elections to protest against what they claim is an unbalanced power structure in the domestic game with Samir Xaud (pictured), president of the Roraima Football Federation, poised to become the organisation’s new president.
A group of 20 clubs from Serie A and B, Brazil’s top two leagues, have said that their representatives will not attend the CBF elections on Sunday as a protest against the electoral process that has catapulted Xaud into pole position in an election that will see him unopposed. The clubs are protesting about a lack of “democracy” and “transparency” in the electoral process.
Brazil’s two biggest clubs Flamengo and Corinthians are part of the protest group. The other clubs are: America-MG, Athletico-PR, Atletico-GO, Botafogo-SP, Chapecoense, Coritiba, Cruzeiro, Cuiaba, Fluminense, Fortaleza, Goias, International, Operario-PR, Youth, Mirassol, Novorizontino, Santos, Sao Paulo and Sport.
In a statement, the group said: “We will be ready to talk to the new management, starting next week, so that together we can discuss how to change the electoral process and other demands of the clubs in favour of an increasingly better football.”
Reinaldo Carneiro Bastos from the Sao Paulo Football Federation wanted to run against Xaud, but his candidature did not meet the electoral requirements with the support of 29 clubs but only two federations. In Brazil, the state federations form the power basis of the CBF and to stand in a presidential election candidates need the support of eight of them.
Vasco da Gama, Botafogo, Palmeiras, Grêmio, Remo, Paysandu, Amazonas, CRB, Volta Redonda and Criciúm reportedly supported Xaud.
The CBF is again in turmoil after a Rio court removed Ednaldo Rodrigues from the presidency for a second time after it ruled against him in a case of a forged signature on a document that legitimised his first election. Ednaldo has been under growing pressure after an article by leading Brazilian magazine Piaui exposed financial mismanagement under his leadership.
Ednaldo also served as a FIFA Council member, but Conmebol announced earlier this week that Claudio Tapia, the president of the Argentine FA, will replace the Brazilian as a South American representative on the FIFA body.
The election process has also seen a group of former Brazil players, including Ronaldo, Cafu and Carlos Dunga, join the protest.
The players issued a statement demanding amendments to the CBF statutes and a meeting with FIFA boss Gianni Infantino.
“The concern of this undersigned group is precisely the lack of democracy and transparency in the management and election process of the entity. As is well known, those who make football and bring crowds to the stadiums are the clubs and players,” said the statement.
“State federations are responsible for organizing championships. Thus, the main direct stakeholders in the CBF’s conduct are effectively the clubs and athletes, which is why it is imperative that they have more importance and prevalence in the entity’s decisions and do not act as mere spectators.”
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