Head of Brazil 2014 taken to hospital

By Andrew Warshaw

September 30 – Ricardo Teixeira, controversial president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), has been admitted to hospital with abdominal pain.

According to hospital staff in Botofogo, the 64-year-old is currently in for observation and does not yet require surgery.

He apparently complained of stomach discomfort.

Teixeira, chairman of the 2014 World Cup organising committee and the most powerful figure in Brazilian football, was recently reported to be about to be investigated for alleged money laundering and tax crimes.

Teixeira, who has had a long-running feud with Pele, the country’s greatest footballing icon, is accused of taking kickbacks from FIFA’s former marketing partner ISL in the 1990s.

Last year, just before the vote for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, the BBC accused Teixeira of being one of three high-profile FIFA Executive Committee members involved in corruption. FIFA later dismissed the allegations while Teixeira denied any wrongdoing.

But in May, he was accused of unethical conduct by former English Football Association chairman Lord Triesman over the bidding process for the 2018 World Cup.

And two months ago, during the 2014 preliminary draw in Rio de Janeiro, Teixeira clashed with English reporters, calling them “corrupt” after being asked to comment on allegations that he was the one who had to answer claims of corruption.

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