Brazilian football clubs owe about 3B reais ($1.4B) in unpaid taxes, and "may face point deductions or relegation should they fail to meet conditions of a proposed new agreement to help ease the debts," according to Tariq Panja of BLOOMBERG. Funds from sponsors and broadcasters "have boosted the revenue of teams in the Campeonato Brasileiro, the country’s top division." Still, years of mismanagement "have led the government to intervene" in a country where football "is by far the most-popular sport, and where the 2014 World Cup will be staged." The Brazilian Sports Ministry said, "[The] government recognizes the situation that some of the Brazilian soccer clubs have been through recently. For this reason, aiming to strengthen these clubs, the government is creating a debt-renegotiation project." The government’s proposals "are currently being discussed" with football teams. The sports ministry, explaining clubs must agree to a series of reforms in exchange for any financial assistance, said, "It is not about forgiveness or amnesty. These include changes to the way they’re managed, and a promise to invest a proportion of their income into helping the country develop athletes for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio in 2016" (BLOOMBERG, 5/29).