Leila Pereira snubs Flamengo, explains Libra exit

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·2 Juni 2026

Leila Pereira snubs Flamengo, explains Libra exit

Flamengo and Palmeiras compete for the top titles in 2026

Behind the scenes of Brazilian football between Flamengo and Palmeiras has “heated up” in recent years. That is because the teams have started competing for the main titles on the South American calendar. Even so, president Leila Pereira was blunt in saying that she does not see the Rubro-Negro as the biggest rival of the São Paulo club.

— Flamengo are not Palmeiras’ main rival. Flamengo are a club that are always fighting for titles alongside us. It is a great institution and competes on all fronts, which is why this rivalry narrative exists. I do not start clashes with the Flamengo board, but if I am provoked, I will not stay silent. Sometimes statements are made that I disagree with, and I respond -, said Leila Pereira.

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Why did Palmeiras leave Libra?

Besides commenting on the rivalry with Flamengo, Leila Pereira explained the decision to withdraw Palmeiras from Libra. Thus, the president said that the departure had no relation whatsoever to the friction created behind the scenes with the Rubro-Negro.

The discussion about the League was not what upset me. What bothers me is wasting time in meetings that produce no results. I believed the clubs could come together to manage the Brazilian Championship. Libra emerged with that proposal, so that everyone could work together to increase the value of the product, but the project did not move forward as we had imagined. The clubs ended up splitting into two major blocs, which was even positive for negotiating the broadcasting rights. The situation became more complicated after the arrival of Flamengo’s new management. There was an attempt to renegotiate contracts that had already been signed, legal action, and meetings that were going nowhere. In my view, no club can consider itself bigger than the others. Therefore, I understood that the best path for Palmeiras was to leave Libra,” she concluded in an interview with ‘Globonews’.

What happened at Libra?

Since 2024, the teams that are part of Libra have been discussing the amounts each one will receive in the distribution of broadcasting rights shares. Hoping to be on the same level as Flamengo, Palmeiras wanted to receive equal amounts. However, Mengão demanded a higher figure because it has a larger audience.

So, Flamengo managed to convince the other clubs, except Palmeiras, that it should receive R$ 150 million from Globo, under a contract valid until 2029. As a result, Leila Pereira’s team, which had signed the document favorable to the Rubro-Negro, backed down, grew outraged, and left Libra.

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