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Football administration has been known for years to be rotten in Brazil, so it should perhaps be no surprise that the country has been hit by a refereeing scandal. Many aspects of Brazilian life are beset by corruption, not least national politics, but it hasn't stopped the country having a high growth rate or a great national football team.
Edison Pereora de Carvalho, one of ten referees in Brazil with Fifa accreditation, has admitted taking between $4,500 and $6,750 a time for attempting to fix matches on behalf of gamblers placing bets of up to $90,000 on illegal internet sites. Footage of one suspect game shows him waving play on after a player is hacked to the ground in the penalty area at one end, then pointing to the spot at the other after a player from 'his' team goes down unmolested.
At least one referee has admitted similar practices and more are expected to follow. Eleven games in the Campeonato Brasileiro, the national league, are to be replayed. But for many fans the championship has lost its point. There is no knowing how many, if any, games were fair. Suddenly the popular cry 'juiz ladrao', 'referee, you're a thief', has acquired a new edge go it.
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