Romario
Brazil’s World Cup-winning striker-turned- senator Romario supplied the evidence that led to football’s governing body opening a corruption probe into the country’s football association president, Marco Polo del Nero.
Del Nero was named among 16 people in the latest Department of Justice indictment, unsealed on Thursday, that widened the U.S.’s global football corruption case. Hours after the indictment was made public, Del Nero announced that he was taking a leave of absence. He has denied all the allegations against him.
FIFA’s independent ethics committee informed Del Nero on Nov. 23 that it had opened proceedings against him, said spokesman Andreas Bantel. He declined to explain the basis for the proceedings.
Romario, who was the top scorer in Brazil’s 1994 World Cup-winning team, is leading a parliamentary probe into corruption in the country’s most popular sport. He sent FIFA documents that include details of a boat purchased on behalf of Del Nero and a payment of about 1.5 million reais (USD400,000) made to a bank account in the name of a girlfriend, said two people familiar with the case, who asked not to be named because the information isn’t public.
A spokesman for Brazil’s football federation said it wouldn’t comment beyond a statement released on Thursday night, when it announced that Del Nero would be taking his leave of absence. Romario’s office said in a statement that the information was sent to FIFA on Nov. 11 and “shows how Del Nero had infringed ethical rules.” It didn’t offer details.
The fallout from the U.S. investigation now includes the last three Brazilian football leaders. Jose Marin, who was president of football in the country during last year’s World Cup, was among the seven football leaders arrested in dawn raids on a posh Zurich hotel in May. His predecessor, Ricardo Teixeira, and Del Nero were charged on Thursday with crimes including racketeering and money laundering.
Del Nero hasn’t left Brazil since hurriedly returning to the country a day after the Zurich raid that nabbed Marin. It’s unclear when FIFA’s case against Del Nero will be closed. Tariq Panja, Bloomberg
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