By David Gold
August 16 – A police inquiry has been opened up against Brazilian football chief Ricardo Teixeira, who is suspected of involvement in the embezzling of nine million reales (£2.5 million /€2.8 million) generated from a friendly game between Brazil and Portugal in 2008.
French sports daily L’Equipe report that the money was paid to the Ailanto Marketing company to promote the friendly, which was won 6-2 by Brazil, but that subsequently no investment was made by the company into organising and marketing the game.
The match was eventually financed by the Federation of Brasilia, and a police raid at the offices of Ailanto has led to the opening of the investigation by police.
Teixiera is accused of approving the use of the money and being a possible recipient of some of the funds, and police suspect money may have been paid into personal accounts.
The allegations will be a huge blow to FIFA, with Teixeira the President of the 2014 World Cup Organising Committee, as well as a senior power broker at world football’s governing body.
He was one of four FIFA Executive Members accused of asking for favours in return for voting for the England 2018 World Cup bid by former Football Association chief Lord Triesman earlier this year, though an independent investigation subsequently exonerated him of those allegations.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), of which Teixeira is also the President, has denied the claims in a statement, and stated that rights to national team matches are sold to a Saudi company to promote and organise.
It is the latest allegation made against the controversial Brazilian football chief, who has in the past been accused of taking sponsorship money paid by Nike to the CBF for personal use and tax evasion.
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