The following is a translation of the news just posted in Estadão by Mr Jamil Chade: http://t.co/5i5laZL3iQ

The syphoning of the friendlies money is still happening, as contracts show
Documents show that Teixeira renewed the agreement with ISE for 10 years before stepping down

 

BASEL – CBF’s ex-president, Ricardo Teixeira, would have reinforced the embezzlement scheme regarding the profits from Brazil’s friendlies around the world before leaving the control of the entity, in march 2012. That is proved by documents obtained by Estado. Those documents reveal that the scheme to guarantee the perpetuation of the payments made to companies abroad was even amplified. And the profit from the friendlies was even used between the men involved in the scheme to buy companies.

In it’s thurday edition, Estado revealed with exclusivity that a contract from 2006 between the company who owns the rights over the Seleção, ISE, and another registered in the USA were proof that more than 8 million would be transfered to the american company Uptrend for a deal on 24 Seleção games. Said company was registered in the name of Sandro Rosell, FC Barcelona’s president, and also ex-director of Nike in Brasil and Teixeira’s personal friend.

Ex-employees of companies who were responsible for operating more than 40 Seleção games state that they never heard about Uptrend and they couldnt say what kind of services it provides.

This thursday, still in Basel, where on wednesday the Seleção faced Switzerland, CBF’s press department did not deny the claims. The current president, José Maria Marin, insisted that he “is not aware” of the matter.

New documents, though, reveal that the scheme did not finish with Teixeira’s fall. Before resigning, the chairman renewed the contracts he had with ISE for another 10 years, for a total value that would be $ 100 thousand less than the previous deal.

But the portion that was syphoned to other accounts went from $ 450 thousand to nearly $ 800 thousand, again in accounts in countries far from Brazil, especially in the USA.

Different contracts consulted by Estado, following always the pattern from the ones revealed this thursday by the report, ended up being signed to justify the payments of such comissions. In one side, ISE, from the Cayman Islands. In the other one, companies that would provide certain services.

It is ISE who picks Brazil’s adversaries in friendlies. After the game in Basel, coach Luiz Felipe Scolari made clear that not even him could have a say in the teams he would face on his way to the World Cup. “I don’t have the power to suggest anything. Who organizes it all is the company who owns the rights”. Up to 2014, Brazil will play seven friendlies to prepare.

Another complaint came from Daniel Alves. “I honestly dont know who is benefited with these friendlies”, he said. “I dont know who gains with that. All I know is that us (players) lose”.

EMBEZZLEMENT

The profit from the Seleção friendlies was also used to pay debts and even buy companies, according to sources that worked at CBF. One of these companies would belong to Rosell himself.

Before taking over as FC Barcelona’s president, in july 2010, he had to sell his marketing companies, as the club’s rules state. The obstacle was solved with the Seleção’s help. ISE sent a recommendation to the friendlies’ organizers so they would transfer directly to Rosell the money they had to send to the company – and that would end up in CBF. ISE, in exchange, kept Rosell’s marketing company. The money was sent: $ 3 million.

The relationship between Teixeira and Rosell went far beyond businness. Sources related to CBF during Teixeira’s tenure reveal that the catalan had an active participation even in the brazilian’s daily organizer. He would even pause his activities as FC Barcelona’s president – SOMETIMES EVEN DURING MATCHES – and call the friendlies organizers to ask that Teixeira’s flights and hotel reservations would be changed.

According to the spanish media, Rosell mantains a dispute with the  spanish fiscal authorities due to undeclared $ 3 million. FC Barcelona’s press department did not respond to any of Estado’s emails.