Ricardo Teixeira
Encyclopedia
- For the Angolan racing driver, see Ricardo Teixeira (racing driver)Ricardo Teixeira (racing driver)Ricardo Teixeira is a Portuguese-Angolan racing driver. He holds dual nationality and has raced under both nationalities at various points in his career. His career has been sponsored by the Angolan oil company, Sonangol.-Formula BMW:Teixeira began his formula racing career in 2001 by driving in...
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Ricardo Terra Teixeira (ʁiˈkaɾdu ˈtɛʁɐ tejˈʃejɾɐ; born June 20, 1947) is the current president of the Brazilian Football Confederation
Brazilian Football Confederation
The Brazilian Football Confederation is the governing body of football in Brazil. It was founded on June 8, 1914, as Confederação Brasileira de Desportos , meaning Brazilian Sports Confederation. Its first president was Álvaro Zamith. It organizes the Brazilian national competitions, like...
(CBF) since January 16, 1989. Teixeira has been chosen to remain on the presidency of CBF at least until the end of the 2014 FIFA World Cup
2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that will take place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014....
to be held in Brazil completing then over 25 years as head of the institution. In November 2010 he was alleged by the BBC to have taken bribes in the 1990s regarding the awarding of World Cup television rights.
Life and career
Born in Carlos ChagasCarlos Chagas, Minas Gerais
Carlos Chagas is a Brazilian municipality located in the northeast of the state of Minas Gerais. Its population as of 2007 was 20,812 living in a total area of 3,199 km². The city belongs to the statistical mesoregion of Vale do Mucuri and to the statistical microregion of Nanuque. It became a...
, Ricardo Teixeira married Lúcia Havelange, the daughter of João Havelange
João Havelange
Jean-Marie Faustin Goedefroid de Havelange , more commonly known as João Havelange , was the 7th President of FIFA, serving from 1974 to 1998. He received the title of Honorary President when leaving office. He succeeded Sir Stanley Rous and was succeeded by Joseph Blatter...
. They divorced in 1997 after almost 30 years of marriage. His son, Ricardo Teixeira Havelange born in 1974 bears his mother's last name, opposing the Brazilian custom.
In 1989, Teixeira was first elected the president of CBF succeeding Octávio Pinto Guimarães and defeating Nabi Abi Chedid, the president of Federação Paulista de Futebol
Federação Paulista de Futebol
Federação Paulista de Futebol was founded on April 22, 1941 and manages all the official soccer tournaments within the state of São Paulo including the Campeonato Paulista, the Copa São Paulo de Juniores and the Copa Paulista de Futebol....
at the time. BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
journalist Tim Vickery
Tim Vickery
Tim Vickery is an English football journalist who has lived in Brazil since 1994. He currently serves as the South American football correspondent for the BBC, writing a weekly column for the corporation online...
has suggested that he would not have been elected "had he not at the time been the son-in-law of vastly influential former FIFA boss Joao Havelange
João Havelange
Jean-Marie Faustin Goedefroid de Havelange , more commonly known as João Havelange , was the 7th President of FIFA, serving from 1974 to 1998. He received the title of Honorary President when leaving office. He succeeded Sir Stanley Rous and was succeeded by Joseph Blatter...
." Teixeira is currently serving his sixth term as head of the CBF.
Corruption allegations
Mr. Teixeira has a long list of accusations against him.In 1994, after winning the World Cup in the USA
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
, the Brazilian Team returned home in a private flight. On arrival in Brazil, Teixeira refused to abide by the rules of Brazilian Customs, on the grounds that "a title of the Brazilian Team is worthy much more than the custom taxes"; later on, it was discovered that many players had brought boxes of undeclared stuff (particularly computers and electronic appliances, which were expensive in Brazil at the time), and that Mr. Teixeira himself had packed a full beer making machine, that he used in a bar he opened a few months later - after a long dispute with Brazilian IRS, Teixeira paid the due taxes and fines.
In 2000, Teixeira faced a Probing Commission in Brazilian Congress
National Congress of Brazil
The National Congress of Brazil is the legislative body of Brazil's federal government.Unlike regional legislative bodies – Legislative Assemblies and City Councils -, the Congress is bicameral, composed of the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies .The Senate represents the 26 states and...
. He was charged of taking illegal advantage of contracts with Nike: the Brazil Team would satisfy Nike's interests, and Teixeira would rake the financial gains. Again, Teixeira had to pay taxes on the basis of non declared revenues.
In November 2010 Andrew Jennings
Andrew Jennings
-Biography:Jennings was born in Scotland and as a child moved to London, England. He is the grandson of a former Clapton Orient player. Jennings worked for the Sunday Times Insight team in the late 1960s, after which he worked for other British newspapers before becoming an investigative reporter...
, the presenter of FIFA's Dirty Secrets
FIFA's Dirty Secrets
"FIFA's Dirty Secrets" is an episode of the BBC documentary series Panorama which was broadcast on 29 November 2010. The half-hour programme saw investigative journalist Andrew Jennings look into allegations of corruption with FIFA, the world's governing body of association football...
, an edition of BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's flagship current affairs programme Panorama
Panorama (TV series)
Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
alleged that Teixeira had taken bribes in the 1990s regarding the awarding of contracts for the sale of television rights to the football World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
., Teixeira waited until 25th July 2011 to respond to the allegations, at which point he attacked on the English Football Association, saying he would "make their lives hell" as long as he remained a member of FIFA's ruling Executive Committee.
The Brazilian authorities started in October 2011 an investigation to evaluate the possibility of money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
by Ricardo Teixeira through the Brazilian Football Confederation. The authorities will have 90 days to complete the investigation which also alleges the involvement of João Havelange
João Havelange
Jean-Marie Faustin Goedefroid de Havelange , more commonly known as João Havelange , was the 7th President of FIFA, serving from 1974 to 1998. He received the title of Honorary President when leaving office. He succeeded Sir Stanley Rous and was succeeded by Joseph Blatter...
as part of the scheme. Andrew Jennings told the Senate committee that Ricardo Teixeira may have amassed $9.5m in bribes from now-defunct FIFA marketing firm ISL
International Sport and Leisure
International Sport and Lesiure was a Swiss sports marketing company that was closely affiliated with FIFA.ISL collapsed in 2001 with debts of £153million....
.
piauíPiauí (magazine)piauí is a Brazilian culture magazine, created by the documentarian João Moreira Salles. It is edited by Editora Alvinegra and printed and distributed by Editora Abril...
controversy
The July 2011 issue of the Brazilian magazine piauíPiauí (magazine)
piauí is a Brazilian culture magazine, created by the documentarian João Moreira Salles. It is edited by Editora Alvinegra and printed and distributed by Editora Abril...
published a profile of Ricardo Teixeira written by journalist Daniela Pinheiro. Ms. Pinheiro spent 10 days in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
with Teixeira while he was there to attend the 61st FIFA Congress
61st FIFA Congress
The 61st FIFA Congress was held between 31 May and 1 June 2011 at the Hallenstadion in Zurich, Switzerland. FIFA is the governing body of world association football, and the congress is the annual meeting of FIFA's supreme legislative body. This is the eighth congress to be held in Zurich, and the...
. In the 8-page article, Teixeira talked about football politics, the 2014 FIFA World Cup
2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that will take place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014....
in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, the Brazilian press and corruption allegations against him and other FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
members. During the course of the interviews, he brushed off the accusations with profanities
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
(such as caguei, a Brazilian swear-word for the verb "to defecate
Defecation
Defecation is the final act of digestion by which organisms eliminate solid, semisolid or liquid waste material from the digestive tract via the anus. Waves of muscular contraction known as peristalsis in the walls of the colon move fecal matter through the digestive tract towards the rectum...
" which also means, roughly, "I couldn't care less") and boasted he was able to do whatever he wanted during the 2014 World Cup - like denying press credentials to those who are critical of him or changing match schedules at his own pleasure.
All of Teixeira's declarations were later confirmed by Rodrigo Paiva, head of public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
for the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF)
Brazilian Football Confederation
The Brazilian Football Confederation is the governing body of football in Brazil. It was founded on June 8, 1914, as Confederação Brasileira de Desportos , meaning Brazilian Sports Confederation. Its first president was Álvaro Zamith. It organizes the Brazilian national competitions, like...
. The remarks stirred a lot of controversy in both the Brazilian press and Brazilian society, and sparked the Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
campaign #foraricardoteixeira ("Out with Ricardo Teixeira").