By David Gold
October 4 – Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has reassured FIFA that the country would stick to the commitments it made when it won the right to host the 2014 World Cup.
A bill currently in the Brazilian congress after being submitted in August would restrict FIFA’s control over ticketing policy, halving the price of admission to games for students and pensioners, as well as limiting the ability of their sponsor Budweiser to sell their products inside grounds.
It was a cause for concern at FIFA as it went against the commitments made when Brazil signed the contract to host the competition in 2007.
The former football-loving President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed the initial contract seven years ago but earlier this year Rousseff won the Presidency and has sought to redefine Brazil’s relationship with FIFA in a bid to prevent accusations that they would be subservient to world football’s governing body.
Brazilian Sports Minister Orlando Silva confirmed that “the Brazilian Government reaffirmed their commitments and the President personally confirmed her intention to prepare the country to offer suitable conditions.
“[The bill will be] improved in a way so that it remains clear that all the guarantees Brazil provided to FIFA are met,” he added.
FIFA general secretary Jérôme Valcke also sounded a conciliatory note after the meeting, dismissing suggestions that the World Cup could be taken away from Brazil as a result of the slow pace of preparations taking place for 2014.
They are currently in a race against time to upgrade airport capacity to meet the demands of the World Cup, whilst there have been numerous delays with the renovation and construction of new and existing stadia, but have faced various obstacles such as strikes by construction workers, and a fortnight ago a judge stopped construction on the airport in São Paulo, Brazil’s largest city.
“We never said that if Brazil didn’t do this or that the World Cup wouldn’t take place in Brazil,” Valcke said.
“Either we work together and we arrive at a situation where everyone is a winner or we don’t work together and we’re all losers.
“The FIFA World Cup is a partnership and as such we do respect Brazilian law, while the host country respects the commitment made.”
Both sides met in Monday for what was described as a “positive” meeting in Brussels, where Rousseff is due for a meeting with the European Union.
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