Brazilian Football Chief Teixeira steps down

74 year old Ricardo Terra Teixeira, the president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), has stepped down from his position just days after taking sick leave. Teixeira had been CBF president since January 16, 1989 and his term would have ended in 2015. He also resigned as the head of the 2014 FIFA World Cup organising committee.

The reason given by the CBF is that Teixeira was leaving his positions to look after his poor health and be with his family, but insiders believe that Teixeira's involvement in FIFA scandals especially the issue of having taken kickbacks from former FIFA marketing partner ISL in the 1990s was the real reason.

It is an interesting timing for Teixeira to leave his powerful position with the 2014 FIFA World Cup just over two years away, but it looks like Brazil wants to shift focus from its officials to the task on hand in organising the FIFA World Cup with heavy criticism coming in from FIFA.

Teixeira will be replaced in both roles by Jose Maria Marin, a former Governor of Sao Paolo, though not all want the 79 year old Marin in the role then many in Brazilian football want a new start, which they believe will not happen under Marin.

Former Brazilian international Romario posted on his Twitter account and Facebook page, "Today we can celebrate! We exterminated a cancer from Brazilian football. Finally, Ricardo Teixeira resigned."

Teixeira said he was leaving with a sense of "mission accomplished" by saying,
"Football in our country is associated with two things: talent and disorganisation."

He said he had done what was within his reach, sacrificing even his health for Brazilian football.