Palmeiras meeting: Leila Pereira under pressure over third term | OneFootball

Palmeiras concluded its political year this Tuesday (16) with the last meeting of the Deliberative Council. The agenda was the approval of the budget for 20206. In addition to the heated atmosphere between councilor José Corona Neto and the president, the topic of a third term took center stage at the meeting.

Leila Pereira emphasized that a possible change in the bylaws does not constitute a “coup”, but at the same time, she had to face some thorny issues. NOSSO PALESTRA found that in previous meetings, the president had never been questioned as much as she was this time.

Some councilors requested explanations regarding the lack of a firm stance against the CBF and the refereeing committee, especially in the final stretch of the Brazilian Championship. In interviews, Leila chose not to blame others for losing the national title.

Third Term

Regarding the third term, supporters who walked alongside the president up to her election are not convinced that the change would benefit the club. On the contrary, they believe that nine years is too long and that the recent change, which allowed Leila to succeed Mauricio Galiotte, is sufficient, with a maximum of six consecutive years over two administrations. There are also councilors from the current administration who have been completely against the idea since the first discussion on the topic, in July 2025.

Empty Year-End Gathering

Another example of the group’s distancing was seen at the traditional year-end gathering at the Football Academy with members of the current administration. It took place on Saturday (13) and, for the first time in four years, was the most sparsely attended. Key organizers and important partners of Leila did not attend the event, including the top leadership of the Council and the COF (Guidance and Oversight Council).

Seeking Support

Aware of the current situation, the president is seeking support through other means, such as from former presidents. She also maintains a strong connection with the women who are at the forefront of politics at this moment and are doing the “grassroots” work with the members.

One of the people interviewed by NP supports the change in the bylaws and argues that “with Leila, good management is guaranteed and it’s not worth trading the certain for the uncertain,” referring to her successor.

For the topic to be formally discussed, a request from one fifth of the Council, approximately 60 names, is needed, or else one fifth of the members eligible to vote, which currently represents about two thousand people. There are also three other ways: a request from the club president, the council president, or the COF president.

Leila Pereira has two more years ahead of Palmeiras and will remain in office, if nothing changes, until the end of 2027.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.