The case involves Ricardo Terra Teixeira, a former high-ranking football official, appealing against sanctions imposed by FIFA for corruption. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reviewed the case de novo, acknowledging FIFA's discretion in decision-making while applying Swiss legal standards. The burden of proof required FIFA to substantiate its allegations, with the standard of proof set at "comfortable satisfaction," a threshold between "beyond a reasonable doubt" and "balance of probabilities." The CAS panel considered evidence from foreign criminal proceedings, including witness testimonies and documents, even though Teixeira was not a party to those proceedings. The panel assessed the admissibility of illicitly obtained evidence by balancing legal interests, concluding that the evidence was admissible and credible.
Teixeira, former president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and a FIFA Executive Committee member, was implicated in a U.S. Department of Justice indictment for racketeering, wire fraud, and money laundering related to corruption in international football. The charges involved schemes like the CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores and CBF Copa do Brasil, where Teixeira allegedly received bribes in exchange for broadcasting rights. Key witnesses, including Alejandro Burzaco and José Hawilla, testified under oath about Teixeira's involvement in bribery schemes. For instance, Teixeira was accused of receiving $600,000 annually from 2006 to 2012 for supporting contracts with T&T Sports Marketing Ltd. for Copa Libertadores rights. Similarly, in the Copa America Centenario scheme, Teixeira allegedly accepted a $1 million bribe for signing a contract with Full Play Group.
The FIFA Ethics Committee investigated Teixeira and found him guilty of violating Article 27 of the FIFA Code of Ethics, which prohibits bribery and corruption. The committee imposed a lifetime ban from all football-related activities, a fine of CHF 1,000,000, and additional costs. Teixeira appealed to CAS, challenging the validity of the evidence, FIFA's jurisdiction, and the proportionality of the sanctions. He argued that the evidence relied on testimonies from witnesses he could not cross-examine and that some alleged offenses occurred after his resignation from FIFA in 2012.
The CAS panel rejected Teixeira's arguments, upholding FIFA's decision. It found the evidence credible and sufficient to establish a quid pro quo relationship between the bribes and Teixeira's official actions. The panel emphasized the systemic nature of the corruption, the high value of the bribes (totaling approximately USD 7.7 million), and Teixeira's influential position in football governance. It deemed the lifetime ban and fine proportionate, given the severity of the misconduct. The ruling underscores the importance of accountability and ethical conduct in sports governance, highlighting the legal and procedural complexities of addressing corruption in international football. The case serves as a significant example of the consequences for violating ethical standards in sports administration.