Coritiba v Palmeiras set for historic first as women presidents face off | OneFootball

Coritiba’s meeting with Palmeiras at Couto Pereira on Wednesday will mark the first Serie A match in which both clubs are led by women presidents, Marianna Libano and Leila Pereira.

According to Globo.com, Coritiba and Palmeiras are currently the only top-flight Brazilian sides with women in the presidency. The fixture kicks off at 19:30, Brasília time, and is the 19th round, the final of the first half.

The moment highlights rising female leadership in Brazilian football. Libano is in her second year as Coritiba’s elected president and the first woman to lead the club. Pereira took charge of Palmeiras at the end of 2021, the first woman to do so in over a century, and was re-elected for a second term.

Under Pereira, Palmeiras have won the Campeonato Brasileiro, Campeonato Paulista, the Supercopa do Brasil and the Recopa Sul-Americana, while remaining a force at home and in South America. Libano notes the clubs are at different stages, with Palmeiras consolidated and Coritiba rebuilding under a model that combines SAF and Association.

Libano hopes to meet Pereira in Curitiba during Palmeiras’ visit to exchange experiences, if schedules allow.

On the pitch, Palmeiras resumed the league as leaders. Coritiba’s campaign has been solid, and despite the financial gap Libano believes the side can compete and chase a positive result through focus and fight.

Coritiba’s push includes women’s football, now directly overseen by the Association and competing in the Copa do Brasil while seeking promotion from Série A3. The club has increased attendances, staged matches at Couto Pereira and launched its first youth trials to develop future professionals.

Source: Globo.com