May 16 – Following pressure from clubs and the Brazilian sports ministry, the Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF) has suspended the next two rounds of the league because of major floods in the country’s south.
Rio Grande do Sul, one of Brazil’s key states, remains flooded as 149 people died and another 108 remain missing according to authorities.
Both top flight clubs Gremio and International, based in Porto Alegre, are struggling to keep operations running and clubs had demanded to suspend the league for a few rounds. That followed a request by Brazil sports minister André Fufuca to suspend all football activities.
While the CBF was reluctant to postpone matches because of calendar congestion, the governing body moved overnight – with its president Ednaldo Rodrigues in Bangkok for the FIFA Congress – to suspend the league for two rounds – the seventh and eighth rounds will be rescheduled.
“We cannot forget that sport and society walk hand in hand, and cannot separate in such a difficult moment for the Brazilian people,” said the CBF.
Conmebol has also suspended two of their matches in Brazil.
Ednaldo Rodrigues said he took the decision on a democratic basis, but told Globo that the CBF is not considering extending the league and season beyond December 8 when they are previewed to finish, citing as reason that “the calendar in 2025 is already very busy.”
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