Marco Polo Del Nero takes Teixeira's FIFA Executive Committee seat

By David Gold

March 23 – Brazilian Marco Polo Del Nero (pictured) is to take Ricardo Teixeira’s seat on the FIFA Executive Committee, the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) have confirmed.

Del Nero is the President of the São Paulo State Football Federation (FPF), and has been part of the CONMEBOL Executive Committee since May 2007.

He replaces the controversial Teixeira, who last week gave up his seat at FIFA after having resigned from his post as head of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and Brazil 2014.

Del Nero is a specialist in criminal law, and beat off competition from Bolivia’s Romer Osuna, the CONMEBOL treasurer, Uruguay’s Eugenio Figueredo and Venezuela’s Rafael Esquivel.

Teixeira had endured significant pressure in his final months from all sides, with FIFA unhappy with the country’s preparations for the World Cup and a particularly frosty relationship with Brazil’s President, Dilma Rousseff.

He had also been investigated for fraud in his homeland and is thought to be implicated as one of four people identified in documents as having taken kick backs from FIFA’s former marketing partner ISL – which world football’s governing body is now keen to publish.

Del Nero joins Argentina’s Julio Grondona (pictured right) and Paraguayan Nicolás Leoz (left) as the South American representatives on the 24 man Executive Committee.

Meanwhile, former FIFA President João Havelange remains in hospital but there have been reported signs of improvement in his condition.

The 95-year-old, who was the head of FIFA for 24 years, is in the Samaritano Hospital in Rio de Janeiro suffering from a bacterial infection in his right ankle.

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