July 14 -Lawyers for Rogerio Caboclo (pictured) has said the suspended CBF president was “badly” interpreted and demanded the ruling body’s ethics committee drop the complaint against their client.
They argue that Caboclo spoke “in a tone above what could be expected” and in an inelegant manner, but did not commit sexual harassment against the CBF employee who filed the complaint.
Caboclo, the CBF president, was suspended on June 6, two days after the complaint of sexual harassment. On July 4, Caboclo’s 30-day suspension was extended for another 60 days. He was accused of asking the employee, after successive abusive behaviour,if “she masturbated”. The former employee also said Caboclo tried to force her to eat a dog biscuit, calling her a “bitch”.
Caboclo’s drinking habits were also allegedly out of control, according to the former employee. He allegedly consumed alcohol during office hours and bottles were hidden in the bathroom so he could drink unnoticed.
The football administrator has denied all allegations and his lawyers have now however argued that the Brazil boss was “badly interpreted”.
He is the CBF’s fourth president who has been removed from office. Ricardo Teixeira, Marco Polo del Nero and Jose Maria Marin were accused of corruption, Marin having been convicted in a New York court as part of the FIFAgate scandal.
Caboclo has been a controversial figure within Brazilian football from the start of his reign in 2019. On the eve of the hastily rearranged Copa America, his relationship with the national team also became strained after Brazil’s coaching staff and players revolted over the last-minute decision to play the tournament in Covid-hit Brazil.
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