The United States Department of Justice is cleaning the big house of Brazilian soccer.
Federal prosecutors announced Marco Polo del Nero and Ricardo Teixeira were among those indicted Thursday on charges of bribery and corruption, according to The New York Times. Del Nero and Teixeira, the current and former presidents of Brazil’s soccer federation, respectively, were implicated as part of FIFA’s expanding bribery and corruption scandal.
The indictments of del Nero and Teixeira follow that of former CBF president Jose Maria Marin, who was taken into custody on May 27 in the first wave of FIFA arrests. Marin plead not guilty last month in a U.S. court., and he remains on house arrest while he awaits trial.
Teixeira headed the CBF for five-plus terms from 1989 to 2012. He’s the son-in-law of Joao Havelange, who served as FIFA’s president from 1974-98.
Marin succeeded Teixeira at the CBFÂ but only served until 2014. Del Nero has headed Brazil soccer since April 2014.
All three also served on FIFA’s Executive Committee.
Brazilian soccer is considered to be in a period of decline at both club and international level. Many have accused the CBF of years of mismanagement and corruption. Del Nero and Teixeira’s latest legal issues explain why that might be the case.
Swiss authorities indicted 16 people, including five FIFA ExCo members, Thursday morning on behalf of the United States government. Two officials, CONCACAF President Alfredo Hawit and COMNEBOL President Juan Angel Napout, were taken into custody in Zurich.
If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@EstadaoEsporte
