SAO PAULO: Record-breaking Brazilian goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni has attacked the CBF in the ongoing row about an overblown domestic fixtures schedule.

Top Brazilian players are pressured in both continental club competitions and a cluttered domestic programme which is being squeezed more tightly than ever to accommodate the World Cup hosting in June and July – the middle of the season.

Goalscoring goalkeeper Ceni broke Pele’s one-club appearances record at Santos on Sunday when he played his 1,117th game for Sao Paulo in a 1-1 draw with Botafogo.

Ceni, who out wearing the No10 in tribute to Pele at the Estadio Morumbi, took time out from his celebrations later to accuse the Brazilian football confederation of stupidity.

He said: “The CBF is the idiot burning Brazilian football. The players are fulfilling all their responsibilities but, if we go on like this, who knows where the game will end up?”

The CBF has been a perpetual focus of criticism from media and politicians over its opaque commercial and political strategy under both long-time supreme Ricardo Teixeira and now under his preferred successor Jose Maria Marin.

Ceni, 40, joined Sao Paulo in 1997, and has scored a world record 113 goals for a goalkeeper from penalties and free kicks.

He played 17 times for Brazil between 1997 and 2006 when he made a substitute’s appearance in a 4-1 win over Japan during the World Cup finals in Germany. It was the first time in 40 years that Brazil had used two keepers in a World Cup finals games.

##############