Really sick ... or something else?

Ricardo Teixeira out as head of Brazilian soccer

SAO PAULO – Ricardo Teixeira resigned as head of the Brazilian soccer federation and the 2014 World Cup organizing committee on Monday after a contentious 23-year stint in charge of the sport in the country.

The announcement ends an era that mixed success on and off the field for Brazil, with allegations that Teixeira took kickbacks from former FIFA marketing partner ISL in the 1990s.

The 64-year-old Teixeira, one of the most powerful men in Brazil, went on medical leave last week. Now, the Brazilian federation said he was leaving for good to look after his health and be with his family. Last year, he was hospitalized because of an intestinal inflammation. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of Fox News.

Kicking Back Comments: I feel for Teixeira as diverticulitis is no joke and from what I know, can be excruciatingly painful. That said, it may be a convenient excuse to exit stage left before FIFA opens a(nother) investigation into his activities as president of Brazilian soccer.

I will say this, FIFA is being more active in following through on corruption as again evidenced by the lost appeals of Amadou Diakite and Ahongalu Fusimalohi. While this came from CAS it would seem clear that FIFA is looking more actively at the scene.

Now, it has a long way to go, and while it has flicked a few boogers with some obviously corrupt members, it still needs an external board to look at Sepp and pals to get to the heart of the matter. I maintain that until that happens, FIFA is hopelessly tainted.