UPDATE: March 16, 2025

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CBF Elections: Endorsement of Ednaldo Rodrigues

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More than one year ago, I advocated for change at the CBF, to embrace a future of opportunity in Brazil football.  As a club, we asked the CBF to communicate with us, and other clubs, to share its vision of the future and provide us with clear indications that its leadership was truly ambitious in facing the great challenges of our game. Moreover, we asked the CBF to give all of us confidence that Brazil football could return to its rightful place as a global leader, in sport and in governance.

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I am happy to now report that 'change' can come from within, and that change is certainly coming to the CBF, for the benefit of all of us who love the football of Brazil.

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Over the past year, in large part because our Botafogo has been able to participate in major cup competitions, I have come to know Ednaldo Rodrigues on a more personal level. I joked with him, yesterday, that our relationship has been rightfully firmed on podiums, and that my affection for him grows, every time he places a Medal around my neck!

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As we have come to know each other, I understand that he is not the man that I once challenged so publicly, during our difficulty of 2023. In fact, he also cares deeply about a number of issues that are extremely important to Botafogo, and yesterday we had a wonderful conversation about how to work together to face these issues:

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Racism:  

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I shared with Ednaldo our deep concerns, and those of team owners around the world who have contacted me, after seeing the heart-breaking and inspirational video of Palmeiras' Luighi, revealing in the most raw emotions what it must feel like to be the victim of the CRIME of racism. Of course we all know that racism is a huge problem, but so many of us, in our busy lives, are now emotionally awe-struck by the courage of this young man, who has demanded through his tears our immediate action. Why has it taken us so long to take action, and how can we let this young man (and many others) feel this way, as he is merely doing his best to grow and develop, and make a contribution to his community? I know that Luighi did not start his day, that day, with a goal to wake up the world, again, to the crime of racism - he was just trying to win a game of football with his friends at his favorite club - but he did wake up the world, and we must stand in solidarity with him, and with Palmeiras, and with all of Brazil - as we amplify Luigi's message to the world.

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Ednaldo shared with me, his perspective, as a man of color, from the northeast of Brazil. He has faced racism many times in his life, and has managed to rise to a level of great importance in our society. He is a great example for young people, like Luigi, who should not have to face the challenges that Ednaldo has seen directly, over his life. Ednaldo was also very touched by this moment, and by the courage of this young man, and I feel very comfortable that he is the right person to lead the CBF's contribution to meaningful progress on the challenge of racism within our important and influential game. 

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Match Manipulation:

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Ednaldo has also made it clear that he is committed to cleaning up the game of football, and facing the pandemic of corruption that is as common, globally, as we have discovered it also to exist in Brazil.  Though it is a problem everywhere, Brazil is one of the very few countries that is showing true leadership to end match-manipulation, and Ednaldo knows the importance of the CBF in keeping this issue in focus. The senate hearings have exposed this problem quite well, even leading to a meaningful arrest and further opportunities to learn the truth, but it is the CBF that will be left to do the real work, once the public hearings end.

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I am pleased to report that the CBF will invite Botafogo, to join other presidents of our championship, to provide meaningful contributions to the fight against match-manipulation, now that we really do have the tools to re-establish trust in our game. Brazil is already a leader in this regard, and I trust that true progress can be made under Ednaldo's leadership.

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The Globalization of Brazil Football

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I believe it is the goal of all of us to see Brazil football, again, respected, as a global leader in football. We want our national team to win...and we want our clubs to have an opportunity to compete, to be seen, and to win against the very best teams in the world.

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I was touched this week by the comments of Leila Pereira, who brazenly encouraged us to consider joining CONCACAF, as an idea to elevate the global visibility and commercial power of Brazil football. At first, I thought she was just being provocative, while demanding attention to some immediate and important issues.  Having just won Copa Libertadores, it would seem like the last thing we should consider at Botafogo - we really do appreciate all that CONMEBOL has done for football in South America - but then I started to hear from people in the USA, and in Mexico, and in Europe, about the incredible force in football that could be created if all of the Americas aligned as a counter-balancing and respected peer with Europe. In spite of the incredible fan support, and the commercial power that we have, in the Americas, we are not respected in Europe. We are not running our clubs, our federations, our leagues and our media properties to properly compete with Europe - so we are not earning the respect of Europe in football.

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So, Leila and I may have once called each other crazy (an argument long forgotten), but this bold thinking is not crazy - it's exactly what we need as Brazil should capitalize on opportunities to innovate and grow. Brazil's powerful participation in the USA-based FIFA Club World Cup is only the beginning of these opportunities, and we need great leaders to truly embrace new ideas to evolve and to grow. I was very pleased to hear from Ednaldo, as we discussed even the wildest of these new ideas, that he is a man that is ready to embrace change and contribute to the evolution of our game.

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Conclusion

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I was very impressed by the confidence with which Ednaldo presented his ideas and his beliefs. Many of his views coincide with our ideas and ambitions at Botafogo. I formally declare that Botafogo supports the candidacy of Ednaldo Rodrigues for re-election as President of the CBF. From this day forward, we will walk together in support of Brazilian football

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December 28, 2023

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CBF Elections and Football in Brazil

…with Change comes Opportunity, but it is Change that we must first Guarantee

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Brazilian football is experiencing yet another moment of political upheaval on the eve of an election that will decide the new President of the CBF. This untimely crisis is, in fact, a window of opportunity for clubs and federations to set a course for the future, for all of Brazil, based on new leadership and modern ideas. Never before has Brazil football been faced with so many exciting challenges that create an opportunity for true prosperity.  With the creation of a unified league, the consolidation and marketing of collective media rights, and the technology-driven opportunity to export Brazilian football to global audiences, the eyes of the World are upon us…and we cannot afford to get this wrong.

 

Speaking just for Botafogo, I can say this…We will not vote as a ‘block’. We will not be pressured into alliances that do nothing more than perpetuate the politics and the policies of old. We are the Most Traditional club of Brazil, yes, but some traditions really need to die…and the concentration of power that has allowed Brazil to fall behind the rest of the football world should not be given a chance to set our course into the future.

 

Now is the time for change, for new ideas. It is time to elect leaders that bring a global vision, people that have the skills to re-establish Brazil football among the most respected in the world…for the commercial benefit for our clubs-in-need and, mostly, for our national pride. 

 

I look forward to traveling to Brazil in the coming days to discuss our hopes and ambitions for Brazil, as one club among many, with the individuals who have asked for the power to lead. We will make our decision based on what we hear on the following topics…

 

• Will the CBF commit to total transparency of decision-making processes that involve all constituents, federations and clubs, with reasonable consultation periods that assure widespread input and majority-rule?

 

• Will the CBF commit to implement and uphold the highest standards, and best practices, of anti-corruption methodologies?

 

• Will the CBF commit to increased pay, increased training and a full-time employment model for all Serie A and Serie B referees?

 

• Will the CBF install strict quality control standards to assure that all referees act, consistently and continuously, in accordance with FIFA Laws of the Game?

 

• Will the CBF further subject itself, in the management and performance of referees, to weekly independent review?

 

• Will the CBF adopt strict anti-corruption practices, employing all tools available under the laws of Brazil, to identify, prosecute and punish game officials, club officials, game participants and third-party actors that act, in any way, to violate corruption laws or compromise the integrity of Brazil football?

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• Will the CBF work, aggressively and constructively, to bring clubs and federations together, in support of a unified professional league, operated by clubs and supervised by the CBF?

 

• Will the CBF endeavor to hire professionals, under new leadership, that have the skills to keep pace with rapidly evolving standards of governance, media, communications, technology and commercialization?

 

• Is the proposed new leadership of the CBF truly ready for the future?

 

We are only one vote, but these are the questions that Botafogo hopes to have answered as we make our decision. We are incredibly excited by the opportunity presented by this election. We believe the candidate that best answers the above questions will be the best person to position Brazil football at the very highest standard in the world of self-governance.  Quality that is guaranteed in every action of the CBF will result in the highest quality of our game on the field.

 

Again, we will vote for Botafogo, which means we will vote for Brazil. We are the Glorious and we are the Most Traditional, but we will not vote for tradition this time…We are here to Set Fire.

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