Brazil denies commercial interference over team selection

Brazil were embarrassingly knocked out of the 2014 World Cup semi-finals by Germany

Rio de Janeiro, May 18 (IANS): Brazil's football federation (CBF) has denied allowing a sports marketing firm to decide who plays for the country's national team.

A media report on Sunday claimed ISE, a company based in the Cayman Islands, has influenced team selection since signing a contract with the CBF in 2006, reports Xinhua.

In a statement published on its website, the CBF refuted allegations that it "sold" or "auctioned" Brazil's national team.

"The CBF vehemently repudiates these malicious insinuations," the federation said on Sunday.

"The contract (with ISE) is not a secret and at no times does it influence player selection."

The report said the contract allowed ISE to nominate players who must start every game and veto those deemed not marketable enough.

ISE belongs to Dallah Al-Baraka, a Saudi Arabian holding company with investments in finance, healthcare, banking, transport, manufacturing and other industries.