Brazil soccer boss resigns amid corruption probe

Trophies and scandals about Teixeira

When Teixeira took the helm of the CBF in 1989, Brazil had gone 19 years without a World Cup title and the CBF's finances were in tatters. Today, the CBF is a vastly profitable enterprise and Brazil holds a record five World Cup titles, having won under Teixeira in 1994 and 2002.

However, despite the successes on and off the field, Teixeira's tenure has been frequently overshadowed by allegations of corruption and shady business dealings.

In 2001, a Congressional investigation accused him of 13 crimes ranging from tax evasion to money laundering to misleading lawmakers, although no charges were ever brought.

Last year, the former head of the English Football Association David Triesman said Teixeira offered to back England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup in return for favours.

In February, the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper said a company linked to Teixeira overcharged the organisers of a November 2008 friendly match between Brazil and Portugal.

Teixeira has denied wrongdoing in all cases.

Brazil's former striker Ronaldo (R) stands with Ricardo Teixeira, president of the local organizing committee for the 2014 World Cup, and head of the Brazilian Soccer Federation (CBF), during a press conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in this Dec 1, 2011 file photo.  [Photo/Agencies]

His resignation means that Marin and two former footballers, Ronaldo and Bebeto, are now charged with organizing one of sport's biggest events.

Ronaldo and Bebeto, both World Cup winners, were appointed to the committee in recent months despite having little experience in the field.

However, both have good relations with FIFA, which could prove useful as Brazil seeks to patch up strained relations with the world soccer body. Brazil is refusing to deal with FIFA's point man for the tournament, Jerome Valcke, following the Frenchman's pointed criticism of planning and preparations.

Sport Minister Aldo Rebelo said the government would no longer deal with Valcke, who caused an uproar in the South American country by saying Brazilian organisers needed "a kick up the backside."

The spat forced Valcke to cancel a scheduled visit to Brazil and prompted FIFA President Sepp Blatter to request a meeting this week with Rousseff. The two are expected to discuss the slow pace of work and to decide whether Valcke will continue as FIFA's interlocutor.

Rebelo said in a statement that the government was looking forward to working with Marin to ensure the success of the World Cup.

The tournament has been beset by delays and questions since Brazil won the right to host it in October 2007. Although most of the 12 stadiums are on schedule, several are over budget and being built with taxpayer money, despite a pledge from former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva that the event would be bankrolled by the private sector.

More worrying is the state of transportation infrastructure, especially airports. Brazil's antiquated airports are not capable of handling the expected influx of 600,000 fans and authorities have been slow to build new airports and expand the existing ones.