The tangled legal battle over the leadership of the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) has taken a new turn.
On Thursday (04/01/2024, local time) a judge of the Supreme Federal Court ordered the reinstatement of President Ednaldo Rodrigues.
Judge Gilmes Mendes issued an interim injunction suspending the decision of a civil tribunal in Rio de Janeiro, which had deposed the 69-year-old in December 2023 because of alleged irregularities in his 2022 election.
Mendes justified the legal protection granted to Rodrigues with a threatened suspension of Brazilian teams by the world association FIFA and the continental umbrella organization Conmebol, which would first affect the U23 Selecao for the Olympic qualifying tournament in Venezuela starting on January 20th. For the gold medalist from the last two summer games, it would be an early exit from Paris 2024.
FIFA and Conmebol had already announced that they would send a commission of inquiry to Brazil. In its statutes, the world association prohibits the state associations from intervening on the part of state bodies.