By Samindra Kunti
February 29 – FIFA is to maintain its freeze on distributing any money to the Brazilian football association, the CBF, until the federation gets its house in order.
Last Friday Gianni Infantino won the FIFA elections with 115 votes in the second ballot of voting, beating outright favorite Shaikh Salman from Bahrain. The CBF voted for the Bahraini frontrunner first round before falling into line with the rest of CONMEBOL and opting for Infantino in the second round.
But Infantino’s reign will not signify a seismic shift in FIFA’s current stance towards the much-maligned CBF. Last December football’s governing body decided to stop any financial (re)distribution to the CBF amid the growing accusations of corruption.
FIFA wants the CBF to pass reforms, clarify the situation over its president and allow for independent audits of its finances, according to Brazilian newspaper Estadao. Marco Polo del Nero is still the de facto president of the CBF, but he is under investigation by Brazilian authorities. He may also be on the FBI’s radar.
In theory, the CBF, presiding over the Brazilian domestic league and the Brazilian national team, doesn’t need FIFA’s funding and development aid as much as other, smaller FA’s might, but both the CBF and CONMEBOL have been very slow in proposing reforms, let alone in possibly enforcing them.
CONMEBOL normally receives $10 million a year from FIFA. The Zurich-based organisation also promised $100 million to Brazil after the 2014 World Cup. So far, FIFA has only released $8 million, freezing the outstanding $92 million. FIFA is worried over the lack of an ethical commission in CONMEBOL and the lack of rules within the CBF.
CBF’s general-secretary Walter Feldman has downplayed the situation. His organisation has written to FIFA about the matter in a bid to resolve the issue.
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