Former footballer Ronaldo Nazário announced that he is withdrawing his candidacy for the presidency of the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation).
The decision comes after he struggled to secure support from the presidents of state federations, some of whom are close to the current CBF president, Ednaldo Rodrigues.
In a social media post, Ronaldo said, “If the majority of decision-makers believe that Brazilian football is in good hands, then my opinion doesn’t really matter.”
Ronaldo had officially announced his intention to run for the position late last year. At the time, he criticized the current CBF administration and said he would fight to restore respect for Brazilian football.
However, in his first contact with the 27 affiliated federations, he said he encountered “23 closed doors.” The former striker reported that the federations refused to meet with him, “arguing that they were satisfied with the current administration and supported its re-election.”
“I couldn’t present my project, share my ideas, or hear theirs as I had hoped. There was no openness to dialogue,” Ronaldo lamented.
To run for the presidency of the CBF, a candidate must secure support from at least four state federations and four clubs from Serie A or B.
