Does it disappear? Sanction on Brazil would leave a mess in the Qualifiers, Libertadores and Sudamericana for 2024
DDuring the Christmas holidays it was learned that Fifa and Conmebol sent a letter, harsh and with warnings, about what is happening in the administration of football in Brazil. And although it seems impossible that the country of the 5 world champions could disappear from the world panorama, it is what could really happen.
Everything was born for the dismissal of the president of the CBF, Ednaldo Rodrigues, by decision of a Court of Justice of Rio de Janeiro. And this is what complicates the whole picture, since the International Association of Football Federation does not allow governments, courts or extra-sports authorities to influence its entities and affiliates.
But since the Brazilian justice also indicated that new elections should be held for the presidency of the CBF, this has been taken by world football authorities as interference and you know what can happen.
Letter from Fifa and Conmebol to the Brazilian Football Confederation
Kenny Jean-Marie (Fifa) and Monserrat Jiménez Granda (Conmebol) sent the letter to the former secretary general of the CBF, Alcino Reis, who was also dismissed. And since these two entities do not recognize the management of the auditor José Perdiz, appointed by the Rio Courts, things began to complicate:
As As previously reported to the CBF, FIFA and CONMEBOL will send a joint mission to Brazil during the week of January 8 to meet with the respective stakeholders and examine the current situation and work together to find a solution to the current state of affairs with regarding the application of the CBF rules and its autonomy…
FIFA and CONMEBOL would like to strongly insist that, before this mission takes place, no decisions affecting the CBF, including elections or electoral appointments, are made. If this is not respected, FIFA will have no choice but to refer the matter to its relevant decision-making body for consideration and decision, which may also include a suspension… In this regard, and For the sake of order, we would also like to point out that if the CBF is eventually suspended by the relevant FIFA body, it would lose all its membership rights with immediate effect until the suspension is lifted by FIFA.. This would also mean that CBF representative and club teams would no longer be able to participate in any international competitions while it is suspended.
Possible sanctions against the Brazilian National Team due to interference by local justice
Although José Perdiz is not recognized as a manager, much less as an official intervener who can make decisions in football in Brazil and abroad, he himself responded and said that the communication was positive. Something that only Partridge himself understood in this way:
It is with satisfaction and respect that we receive this new letter from FIFA. I see it as a positive sign, but, as determined by Justice, I must call the elections within the established period. It is necessary to conduct this stage observing the legal frameworks, in line with the statute of the Entity itself and FIFA.
As the panorama does not seem to change, the first effects would be seen in the friendlies in March 2024 because they are Fifa dates and, if there is a decision to punish the CBF, they would not be able to play those matches because the Confederation no longer has recognition.
Depending on whether there is a temporary or definitive and substantive sanction, the following would affect would be the Copa América 2024, in which ‘la verdeamarela’ shares a group with Colombia, Paraguay and a Concacaf representative to be defined. So Conmebol must try to ensure that the issue is handled in the best ways so that it does not have to replace Brazil or leave a gap in the competition that will be held between June and July 2024.
And the most important thing, which the CBF, Conmebol and Fifa want to avoid by any means, is that the sanction takes away recognition and could cause that Brazil does not play the 2026 World Cup Qualifying matches scheduled for September, October and November 2024. Remembering that The five-time world champions have had a bad start to the qualification with only 7 points in 6 games and occupying 6th place in the table.
A disaffiliation, would lead to Brazil leaving the Qualifiers and not being able to participate due to the place in the World Cup in Mexico, the United States and Cenedá.
What other sanctions can the CBF face for the intervention?
The next An official announcement would be made on January 8, coming from a commission formed especially to deal with the complicated and controversial case.. If the elections in the Brazilian Football Confederation advance without endorsement or authorization from Fifa, the other teams and clubs may be affected.
The U-23 would not participate in the South American Pre-Olympic Tournament to be played in Venezuela between January and February 2024. The women’s team would also not participate in the Concacaf Gold Cup which is scheduled between February and March. Although the Olympic Games are regulated by the IOC (International Olympic Committee), the organization, logistics and everything depends on Fifa, so there would be no presence of Brazil in the female and male branches in Paris 2024.
The Brazilian Women’s U-20 would also not participate in the South American to qualify for the World Cup to be played in Colombia between August and September 2024.. Furthermore, there would be no representation of Brazil in any of the Fifa competitions with national teams, whether in beach soccer, indoor soccer or other events such as meetings, voting and so on.
In the case of The clubs classified for the 2024 editions of the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana, they would not have the endorsement of Conmebol to participate either. Those affected would be:
Fluminense, São Paulo, Palmeiras, Grêmio de Porto Alegre, Atlético Mineiro, Flamengo, Botafogo and Bragantino for Libertadores. While in Sudamericana there would be Athletico Paranaense, Internacional, Fortaleza, Cuiabá, Corinthians and Cruzeiro.
The last days of December and the beginning of January will be key to see if this tumble occurs or there is a solution for 2024 with Brazilian football.
