In the final round of the Brazilian Championship, Ceará lost 1-3 to Palmeiras and was relegated to Série B. After the defeat at Arena Castelão, president João Paulo Silva fell ill and required medical attention. Vice-president Ernando Uchôa expressed regret during the press conference.
Ceará Sporting Club faced Palmeiras at Arena Castelão in Fortaleza on Sunday, December 7, 2025, in the 38th and final round of the Brazilian Championship. The home team took the lead, but Verdão turned the game around to win 3-1, confirming Vozão's relegation to Série B in 2026. The club finished the competition in 17th place with 43 points, overtaken by Internacional and Vitória, who won their matches against Red Bull Bragantino and São Paulo, respectively.
After the final whistle, Ceará's president João Paulo Silva fell ill due to the emotional impact of the relegation. He was attended to by the club's doctors and could not attend the press conference. Vice-president and football director Ernando Uchôa, along with football CEO Haroldo Martins, handled the media interaction.
"First of all, I want to say that president João Paulo felt unwell, is being attended by our doctors, and had no condition to come to this interview. I repeat, the feeling of all of us is one of deep consternation. We apologize to our fans," Uchôa stated. The executives expressed sadness over the result, noting that the team had been away from the relegation zone in previous rounds but stumbled in matches against top-table opponents.
The other relegated teams were Fortaleza, Juventude, and Sport. Internacional and Vitória escaped relegation with wins in the final round, in a day marked by intense emotions for the teams fighting the drop.
