Rio Authorities Debate Olympic Stadium Name Change

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - APRIL 11: Aerial view of the Joao Havelange Stadium, locally known as Engenhao, on April 11, 2013 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Engenhao will host Track and Field events in the next Olympics. It is now closed due to structural problems with its roof. Local authorities argue that the Engenhao is not safe to host public events until the problems are fixed. This stadium is also the home of Botafogo, of the Brazilian Serie A. (Photo by Buda Mendes/LatinContent/Getty Images)

(ATR) Authorities in Rio de Janeiro are reconsidering the branding of Olympic Stadium in the wake of corruption charges against its namesake, Joao Havelange.

The former FIFA president from Brazil is among the senior officials found last month to have taken millions of dollars in illegal payments throughout the 1990s from International Sports and Leisure, the former marking partner of world football’s governing body.

According to a BBC report, five city councilors are now presenting a bill suggesting the stadium instead bear the name of Joao Saldanha, a famous sports journalist and former manager of the 1970s World Cup national team.

"The name Joao Havelange is today linked to fraud investigations and scandals at Fifa," Renato Cinco, one of the bill's authors, is quoted by the BBC.

"It doesn't make sense for a city which is going to host the World Cup and Olympic Games have the name of its stadium with this reference."

The renaming legislation still requires approval by the local assembly's commissions before a vote among councilors is taken.

Havelange, 96, resigned as a member of the IOC in 2011 and as an honorary president of FIFA in late April following release of the ISL findings.

All told, Havelange received at least $1.5 million in kickbacks from ISL, according to FIFA’s report.

Written by Matthew Grayson.

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