Brazilian soccer club president battles ‘structural machismo’

Leila Pereira is very familiar with the lonely feeling of being the only woman among men. This feeling has intensified since the Brazilian business magnate became the president of Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras, one of the top soccer clubs in Latin America. Since she took over two years ago, the São Paulo-based club has been on a historic winning streak. Pereira kicked off her third and final year as president with a bold move – a press conference on January 16 exclusively for female journalists. As expected, some men voiced their objections to being left out. Pereira framed her press conference as a critique of “structural machismo,” aiming to highlight the exclusion and limited opportunities that women commonly face. She also shared the news about coach Abel Ferreira’s one-year contract extension through December 2025.

Pereira’s press conference was an experiment to promote empathy among those in power towards those seeking equality. When questioned about excluding men, she bluntly replied: “I told them, ‘Don’t get hysterical,” which is exactly what they say when we protest something. We’re not asking for any special privileges. We just want a chance to show that we’ve got what it takes, that we deserve our place in soccer.” Her first public statement in 2024 was certainly unusual, and also “historic,” according to several journalists at the press conference. Two of the club’s four vice presidents are women.

Since Pereira’s arrival (with her ample checkbook), Palmeiras has enjoyed an unprecedented winning streak. Yet she still faces constant criticism. Over the past two years, the men’s team has won six titles, including the Recopa Sudamericana (2022), the Brazilian Super Cup (2023), two Brazilian championships, and two São Paulo state titles. The women’s team also won the Libertadores Cup in 2022. Palmeiras is a legendary club founded by Italian immigrants in the early 20th century. Pereira, one of the wealthiest people in Brazil, intends to run for re-election at the end of the year.

The main source of all the criticism she gets is that two of her husband’s companies, which she has managed independently for years, are Palmeiras sponsors. Many view this as a clear conflict of interest, a notion she firmly rejects. Pereira was the one who suggested to her octogenarian husband, José Roberto Lamacchia, that they sponsor the team he had been following since childhood. They chose to do so through Crefisa, a successful personal loan company with millions of clients among the poorest Brazilians. And that’s how this woman from Rio de Janeiro got involved in the famed São Paulo soccer club.

At her press conference, Pereira stated her conviction that a male club president would face less criticism than she does. “When Palmeiras loses, Leila takes the blame. But when it wins, it’s like it’s winning despite Leila,” she said sarcastically. “Didn’t I have any part in those victories?” Pereira carefully sidestepped a journalist’s question about rebukes from the club’s biggest fan organization regarding its failure to control violence in the stands.

The elegantly dressed Pereira started the press conference punctually with a clearly feminist speech. Most of those present were sports journalists that don’t cover big, male-oriented teams like Palmeiras. During the two-hour Q&A session, the focus was on the club’s teams, their finances, player signings and, of course, Pereira’s many critics.

Pereira highlighted the importance of managing the club in a sustainable manner. “If not, we’re going to keep losing players. They want to go abroad because we can’t compete with the European clubs.” The most recent example is Endrick Felipe Moreira, a rising Palmeiras star who will play for Real Madrid in July when he turns 18. Moreira was 16 years old when he signed the €60 million ($65 million) contract with the Spanish club.

Pereira repeatedly stressed that she manages the club as a company “with the unique feature of having passionate fans.” However, she clearly stated that player signings are decided by the coach and technical committee, and are not influenced by popular demand. She also prioritizes meeting current financial obligations before committing to expensive player contracts and unmanageable debt. “The true profits in soccer come from the championships,” she said, taking pride in the club’s achievements and affordable ticket prices. Pereira said the players will continue to use the family’s private plane for free due to the chaotic Brazilian soccer schedule and logistical challenges. She also pledged that by year-end, when the current sponsorship contract ends, the club will initiate an open bidding process for sponsorship from “suitable companies.” The board of directors will then choose the winning bid.

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