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New Brazil soccer chief blasts talk of breakaway league

Xinhua, April 17, 2015 Adjust font size:

The new head of Brazil's football federation (CBF) has criticized the prospect of a breakaway domestic league amid reports of growing discontent among some of the country's biggest clubs.

Flamengo, Fluminense and Cruzeiro are said to be considering joining a rebel competition after rows with their respective state federations.

Marco Polo del Nero, who replaced Jose Maria Marin as CBF president on Thursday, questioned the motive of the proposal.

"We have to look at what the reasons are for forming a league. They will have to create a new board, they'll have expenses and won't be able to do what the CBF does," Del Nero said during a press conference.

"We don't charge a penny from Serie A clubs and even so we help those in the Serie B, C and D. If they want to take it away, they have to take everything with them, not just the best part.

"They say the CBF is spending too much, but have a many sponsors. I think it would be very difficult to have a breakaway league because we are doing everything correctly. We are here for the clubs, for football."

Brazil's state leagues have long provoked condemnation from the country's top clubs, who say they only serve to prop-up their poorer rivals.

The leagues - whose seasons span about four months - attract little interest from fans and are seen to be the chief culprit for Brazil's cluttered football calendar.

Fluminense striker Fred and Flamengo's former Real Madrid and Brazil manager Vanderlei Luxemburgo are among those to have publicly criticized Rio de Janeiro's state federation in recent weeks. Endi