Ricardo Teixeira, the president of Brazil’s soccer federation and the 2014 World Cup organizing committee, is under increasing pressure to step down after the country’slargest newspaper, Folha de S. Paulo, published a report linking him to a company being investigated for over-billing an international friendly four years ago.
The article comes amidwidespread reports that Teixeira will resign or take a leave of absence, effectively ending his contentious 23-year rule of Brazilian soccer and the national team.
Folha said the companylinked to Teixeira over-billed air tickets and hotel stays for a Brazil friendly against Portugal in 2008. Teixeira has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Folha said police found evidencethat a partner from the company Ailanto Marketing, which helped organize the friendly that cost nearly $5 million in public money, made payments to Teixeira four months after the match in Brasilia.The payments, which could total $350,000, were supposedly part of a contract for renting land owned by Teixeira near Rio de Janeiro.