BARCELONA: The Spanish border tax haven of Andorra is to cancel a residency permit for Ricardo Teixeira after concern at the gathering media storm around the former FIFA exco member.

The ex-president of both Brazil’s football confederation and 2014 World Cup organising committee escaped increasing pressure at home by fleeing to Miami in March of last year.

However Teixeira, the subject of increasing scrutiny in Brazil, had a residency in Andorra arranged for him by a company controlled by Barcelona president Sandro Rosell and Joan Besoli, a business associate.

Media in Brazil has identified Besoli as being a go-between when Teixeira repaid E1.7m of illicit payments to the bankrupted former FIFA marketing partner ISL.

Besoli is also financial adviser to the Andorran town of Sant Julià de Lòria.

A report commissioned by the Andorran authorities has reportedly shown that Teixeira has not lived for the prescribed minimum 90 days in the principality though he owns a home there.

Teixeira’s current residency permit expires on November 14 and the interior ministry has been instructed that any application for an extension should be rejected.

In a rare radio interview on the controversial business links with Teixeira, Rosell said that he had a “great friendship” with Teixeira.

They had discussed the best destination for him outside Brazil and came up with Miami. But Teixeira also chose Andorra because, apparently, of his memories of a skiing holiday there 40 years ago.

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