(Reuters) – Gillette ended its sponsorship of Brazil’s national soccer team in June, just days after the former president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) was arrested as part of a U.S.-led investigation into corruption, a spokesman for the organization confirmed yesterday.
The shaving brand, owned by Proctor & Gamble Co., sponsored Brazil’s friendly matches and staged photo opportunities at which players, including Barcelona’s Dani Alves and Chelsea’s Oscar, shaved their faces in front of fans and media.
Prosecutors accused Jose Maria Marin, who headed Brazil’s preparations to host the 2014 World Cup, of racketeering, fraud and other crimes.
Last week, his successor, Marco Polo Del Nero, and his predecessor, Ricardo Teixeira, were among other global soccer executives indicted on similar charges by U.S. prosecutors.
Proctor & Gamble officials in Brazil and the United States did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The CBF spokesman would not disclose further details about the severed sponsorship, which was first reported by the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper on Sunday.
