Head of Brazilian football federation resigns amid poor health

Ricardo Teixeira stepped down from his posts as head of the Brazilian football federation and the 2014 World Cup organizing committee on Monday, ending a contentious 23-year stint in charge of Brazilian football.

The announcement ends an era that mixed success on and off the field for Brazil with allegations of irregularities and corruption involving Teixeira, including that he took kickbacks from former FIFA marketing partner ISL in the 1990s.

The 64-year-old Teixeira, a member of FIFA's executive committee, took a leave of absence for medical reasons last week. But the Brazilian federation announced he has left permanently to look after his health.

The announcement came in a letter of resignation read by new federation and organizing committee president, former Sao Paulo Governor Jose Maria Marin.

"I leave the presidency of the CBF [national federation] permanently with the sense of mission accomplished," Teixeira wrote in the letter. "It's not easy to preside passion. Football in our country is associated with two things: talent and disorganization. When we win, talent is praised. When we lose, it's about disorganization. I did what was within my reach, sacrificing my health. I was criticized in the losses and undervalued in the victories."

Teixeira's term had been expected to end in 2015.

The medical reasons were not officially disclosed, but last year he took leave after being hospitalized because of diverticulitis, an inflammation of the inner lining of the intestine.

Former Brazil star Romario, now a congressman, had some harsh words for Teixeira after his resignation.

"Today we can celebrate," Romario posted on his Twitter and Facebook pages. "We exterminated a cancer from Brazilian football. Finally, Ricardo Teixeira resigned."

The 79-year-old Marin also has been involved in controversy. Earlier this year, television cameras caught him putting a winner's medal in his pocket while presenting them to players in an under-18 tournament in Sao Paulo. He later said the medal was given to him. He was not accused of any wrongdoing by organizers.

Marin said nothing would immediately change at the federation or the World Cup organizing committee with him in command.

"It's not a new administration," he said. "It's a new president, but the stupendous work that was being done by Ricardo Teixeira will continue. It's not a new project."

Some local federations were against having Marin as president and wanted to be able to pick a successor for Teixeira through elections or by changing the national federation's statutes.

Marin said Teixeira's administration was an example to be followed.

Teixeira has led the CBF since 1989 and revamped the organization after it struggled financially. Under his command, Brazil won the 1994 and 2002 World Cups and the federation became one of the richest in the world.

But the success was followed by protests and calls for his resignation, although he has always denied any wrongdoing.

There was increased pressure for Teixeira's resignation last month after the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper, Brazil's largest, reported that prosecutors had allegedly found evidence linking him to a company that organized a friendly between Brazil and Portugal in 2008 in Brasilia. The company is being investigated for irregularities in organizing the match.

Teixeira was never convicted of any wrongdoing, but he was twice investigated by Brazil's Congress.

He was also accused of unethical behaviour by a former chairman of England's Football Association, David Triesman, who said during a British parliamentary inquiry that Teixeira and other FIFA executive committee members engaged in improper conduct during bidding for the 2018 World Cup.

FIFA cleared the Brazilian, who said the allegations were made because the English were upset over losing the World Cup bid.

After Brazil won the 1994 World Cup, Teixeira found himself amid a controversy when players and officials tried to re-enter Brazil without paying proper taxes on gifts and other imported goods bought by them in the United States.

Teixeira seemed to have the support of FIFA President Sepp Blatter and at one point was touted as his possible replacement. But the relationship between the two hasn't apparently been as good recently, especially after Blatter appeared set to allow the release of the documents that allegedly implicate Teixeira in the ISL case. FIFA eventually postponed the publication, citing legal measures.

It remained unclear if Teixeira will also leave the FIFA executive committee, which is a position elected through CONMEBOL, the South American football confederation. Teixeira has been an executive member of football's governing body since 1994.