Episode between Dudu, currently at Atlético, and Leila Pereira, president of Palmeiras, occurred when the striker went to Cruzeiro
Dudu, an Atlético striker, was denounced this Monday (2/6) by the Attorney General’s Office of the Superior Court of Sports Justice for Football (STJD) for offensive statements against Palmeiras’ president, Leila Pereira. The player was charged under article 243-G of the Brazilian Code of Sports Justice.
“Performing a discriminatory, disdainful or outrageous act, related to prejudice based on ethnic origin, race, sex, color, age, condition of being elderly or disabled”, says the article, which provides for a suspension penalty of five to ten matches. He was regularized with the BID this Monday and can make his debut for Galo. “The defendant’s conduct is fraught with unacceptable misogyny, as it seeks to denigrate the professional career and credibility of Leila Pereira, the only female president of a first division football club in Brazil,” the complaint states.
Dudu left Palmeiras for Cruzeiro in a tumultuous manner at the beginning of 2025 – he only joined Atlético in May. The president of Verdão criticized the former number 7’s departure in an interview, and Dudu responded in a story on January 13 with a post that said: “The truck was heavy and they told me to leave through the back doors!!! My story was huge and sincere, unlike yours, Mrs. @leilapereira Forget me, VTNC.”
After that, he criticized Leila again in a comment on a post on the same social network and used a hashtag that said “falsamaisquenotade2reais.” Both were heard and, while Dudu wanted to remain silent, Leila said she felt disrespected and her honor was offended by the posts in question, in addition to having expressed her understanding that the way the athlete acted was directly related to the fact that she was a female manager. “I have no doubt that Dudu only said what he said because I am a woman. So much so that more recently, after leaving another team, he did not offend the honor of the man who holds the SAF of the club that dismissed him. So, I hope that this athlete is punished with the maximum severity possible, for all the embarrassment he caused not only to me, but to all women. Only with severe penalties will we curb these discriminatory and prejudiced attitudes, which have no place in football or in society”, said Leila Pereira.
At the time, Cruzeiro, his club, which he was associated with until then, presented a statement in defense of Dudu, alleging that the sports court was incompetent to judge the case, since, according to the Minas Gerais team, the conduct attributed to the athlete did not result “from his performance in the competitive sports field”. Dudu left Cruzeiro in May of this year and was hired by Atlético.
