BRASILIA: Romario, new president of Brazil’s sports and tourism comission, is demanding that the Brazilian football confederation reveals full details of its long-term, multi-million contract with sportswear giant Nike writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

The 1994 World Cup-winner, now a parliamentary deputy, launched his demand first in the chamber then to the media.

Romario said that this year Nike would pay the CBF R$71m which would rise to R$90m in 2014 when Brazil hosts the World Cup finals. However Jose Maria Marin, veteran president of the Brazilian football confederation, has indicated he is unhappy with the sums.

That raised Romario’s suspicions. He said: “The contract is not merely between private companies but Nike is benefiting from the use of the flag, shirt, the anthems and the players themselves. This is an issue of national significance and therefore all the figures should be transparent for everyone to see.”

Romario is also concerned to see identified all the various individuals and agencies who may have received commissions along the way.

He said: “I would imagine that a contract of his importance and complexity is put together by specialists for which, naturally, they would have been paid generous commissions.”

Such clarification could clear from suspicion any present or former CBF officials and directors over an improper financial relationship with Nike or its representatives.

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