‘Invisible’ Del Nero defies CONMEBOL move to replace him on the FIFA exco
RIO DE JANEIRO: Marco Polo Del Nero has shrugged off the South American confederation’s attempt to remove him as one of its three delegates on the FIFA executive committee writes KEIR RADNEDGE.
Del Nero rushed for home from Zurich on May 27 after his predecessor as CBF president, Jose Maria Marin, was among seven men detained on an indictment issued by the United States Department of Justice over the FIFAGate scandal.
As a Brazilian citizen Del Nero, who was not named in the original US indictment, is safe from extradition as long as he does travel beyond his home country.
Hence he has not attended the last four exco meetings of the world football federation including last week’s emergency meeting to discuss events since the ethics committee suspensions of president Sepp Blatter and UEFA leader Michel Platini.
He did not travel to Chile for the Copa America this past June and July nor does he accompany Brazil to away games in the World Cup qualifying tournament.
CONMEBOL president Juan Angel Napout told the head of the Brazilian federation that his absence was detrimental to the interests of South American football and intended to choose replacement at its next meeting late next month in Rio de Janeiro.
Financial cost
However Del Nero is understood to be resisting his dismissal which would cost him more than $200,00-per-year in terms of the world federation honorarium. He is also a member of FIFA’s beach soccer committee and organising committees of the World Cup, the Club World Cup and the Olympic football tournament.
In a statement on the CBF website, Del Nero said: “Contrary to reports in the media, there has been no discussions about the departure of president Marco Polo Del Nero from the FIFA executive committee.”
Journalists were told at a recent Brazilian national team press conference, attended by Del Nero, that they were barred from asking questions about his FIFA role.
The CBF delegation heading for Buenos Aires and the November 12 World Cup qualifier against Argentina will be led, instead, Congressman Marcus Vicente, one of the federation’s vice-presidents.
Del Nero is thought to have proposed a compromise whereby his place on the FIFA exco would be taken over ‘temporarily’ by senior CBF vice-president Fernando Sarney.
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