According to reports, Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF) has reopened a legal case against Ednaldo Rodrigues, the president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), and he may be removed from his position in the coming days.

Brazilian media reports indicate that Rodrigues was accused in 2023 of making opaque changes to the federation’s electoral rules. He temporarily stepped down but returned to the presidency three months ago, citing a document that allegedly cleared him. However, that document is now under renewed scrutiny, with signs of forgery detected.

The agreement, intended to end legal disputes and prevent future interference, was signed between the Minas Gerais Football Federation, former CBF president Rogério Caboclo, and several vice presidents, including Antônio Carlos Nunes, Fernando Sarney, Gustavo Feijó, and Castelar Guimarães Neto. Instead of resolving the issue, it has reignited controversy.

A forensic handwriting expert, Jacqueline Tirotti, has brought Rodrigues back into the spotlight. Her report claims that Antônio Carlos Nunes’ signature on the document was forged. According to the report, Nunes was physically and mentally incapable of accepting any terms at the time, and his signature showed subtle but irreplicable differences from his authentic handwriting. As a result, the document has been deemed invalid, with high risks of content manipulation due to missing annotations and inconsistent page ordering.

It has also been revealed that Nunes signed a power of attorney on January 19, 2025—five days before the agreement that facilitated Rodrigues’ return. This document allegedly authorized him to request judicial approval for an agreement that did not yet exist. According to the report, published by the website Léo Dias, the signature attributed to Nunes in official CBF correspondence was forged and deliberately used to legitimize internal decisions.

Brazil’s Supreme Court President, Luís Roberto Barroso, has scheduled a hearing on the case for May 28—three days after El Clásico.

Ancelotti in an Unstable Position

These developments have cast further doubt on the signing of Carlo Ancelotti’s contract with the Brazilian national team. In recent days, signs of internal tension within the CBF have been evident, and now, with the potential removal of its president, the project could once again be derailed—similar to what happened in 2023.

If Ednaldo Rodrigues is ousted in the coming days, the federation will not be able to formally sign contracts with Ancelotti or any other coach unless a new president is appointed. In this scenario, the final court ruling must be awaited, and it is highly likely that new elections will be held after Brazil’s June matches against Ecuador and Paraguay.