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Brazilian soccer boss Ricardo Teixeira is under the microscope again amid reports that the country’s federal police have opened an investigation into allegations of corruption against him.

The chief of Brazil’s soccer federation for 22 years and the head of the local organizing committee of the country’s efforts to stage the World Cup in 2014, Teixeira is no stranger to controversy.

He was named in previous allegations when the former head of England’s failed 2018 World Cup bid, Lord Triesman, accused four members of Fifa’s executive committee of unethical behaviour.

Teixeira, who is still a member of the Fifa executive committee, is being investigated by the police over claims he laundered money from bribes he is accused of receiving during the 1990s along with two other high-ranking Fifa officials.

A spokesman at Brazil’s soccer federation said on Tuesday that Teixeira denies the allegations: “There is nothing new, this is an inquiry from 20 years ago that for some reason has come up again. Any information that the Federal Police needs, Ricardo Teixeira will present with no problem at all.”

According to Reuters, Teixeira prospered under former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva but his successor, President Dilma Rousseff, is proving less friendly.

From Reuters:

Until this year, Teixeira could count on his warm ties with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s jovial, football-loving former president. But Lula’s successor, Dilma Rousseff, has made little secret of her disapproval of the cartola.

She was reportedly horrified when Teixeira did not invite Brazil soccer great Pele, a global sporting icon, to the preliminary World Cup draw in Rio de Janeiro in July. In what amounted to a public humiliation for Teixeira, she hurriedly appointed Pele as Brazil’s honorary World Cup ambassador.

The first woman to lead Brazil has taken a tough stance against unethical behavior by her ministers, five of whom have been forced to resign this year. The latest cabinet member in the spotlight is Sports Minister Orlando Silva, who denies accusations that he skimmed money from sports programs and took delivery of wads of cash in the ministry’s garage.

Rousseff has effectively frozen Teixeira out of negotiations with FIFA about legislative changes needed ahead of the World Cup, an official with knowledge of the talks told Reuters. On her trip to Europe this month, Rousseff made it clear to FIFA executives, including General Secretary Jerome Valcke, that she does not have confidence in Teixeira, the official said.

Rousseff is also dealing with bribery allegations against her sports minister, Orlando Silva. With time running out to prepare for the 2014 World Cup, she will be hoping that the government can quickly sort out any problems with both men.

Related reading:
O presidente: profile of Teixeira, Piaui magazine
Brazil: football chief under fire, beyondbrics
Bad airports might ground Brazil’s World Cup dreams, beyondbrics
Brazil: World Cup projects over budget, beyondbrics
World Cup 2014: March of the white elephants, beyondbrics