Marin named new LOC chairman

The lawyer, former professional footballer and former state governor of Sao Paulo, Jose Maria Marin, 79, is the new chairman of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ Organising Committee (LOC). The announcement was made by Marin himself after he read out a letter of resignation from his predecessor Ricardo Teixeira at a press conference on the afternoon of Monday 12 March in Rio de Janeiro. “We’re going to work in partnership with two huge stars of the game, Ronaldo and Bebeto, so that Brazil continues its efforts towards hosting an unforgettable FIFA World Cup for our country and the world,” Marin promised. In his resignation letter, Teixeira spoke of departing with a sense of having accomplished his mission, and stated that henceforth he would be looking after his own health and spending time with his family. The career of the incoming chairman has always been closely linked to football and politics. He was a right winger for Sao Paulo, where he played between 1950 and 1952. He would later enter the world of politics, serving as a Sao Paulo city councillor between 1964 and 1970 and becoming council president in 1969. Marin then held a seat in the Sao Paulo State Legislative Assembly until 1979, when he became deputy-governor. With the departure of state governor Paulo Maluf in May 1982, Marin was appointed as his replacement and held the position until March 1983. The new LOC chairman returned to the world of sport in 1982, as president of the Sao Paulo Football Federation, a position he held until 1988. In 1986 he also headed up the Brazilian delegation during the FIFA World Cup in Mexico. In 2007, he was elected vice-president of the South-Eastern Region of the Brazilian Football Association (CBF).