BRASILIA: Romario has said that embattled Marco Polo Del Nero has agreed, finally, to appear before the parliamentary investigation into the Brazilian football confederation writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

Del Nero stood down last week ‘temporarily’ as president of the CBF after being kicked off the executive committee of world federation FIFA and being indicted by the United States Department of Justice in the FIFAGate corruption saga.

The hearing before the committee led by Romario, World Cup winner turned senator, is set for next Wednesday.

The same day an election is due to be held for a new vice-president of the CBF and Del Nero has been working hard behind the scenes, reportedly, to ensure that his own preferred candidate should be chosen.

Del Nero has failed twice to attend hearings and agreed to do so only after being threatened that senators vote to make his attendance mandatory.

The interim president of the CBF, Marcus Vicente, is also expected to appear before the committee on the same day.

A spokesman for Romario said: “The former president of the CBF, Marco Polo Del Nero, has talked with the rapporteur of the CPI Football, Senator Romero Juca, and pledged to testify in the Senate next Wednesday. The new organization’s president, Marcus Vicente, must also testify in the session.”

Last week, the CPI obtained permission to apply for phone and banking records of Del Nero and his CBF presidential predecessors Jose Maria Marin and Ricardo Teixeira.

Also being sought is permission to access the banking and tax records of the Local Organising Committee of the 2014 World Cup.

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