Brazil will be ready for 2014 World Cup promises new Sports Minister

By Duncan Mackay at Soccerex in Rio de Janeiro

November 28 – Brazil will put on a “great World Cup”, the country’s new Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo promised as the annual Soccerex convention opened here today.

Rebelo was appointed to the post last month after Orlando Silva was forced to resign following his links to a corruption scandal.

At the same time, Ricardo Teixeira, President of the 2014 World Cup Organising Committee, remains at the centre of major FIFA corruption allegations with claims that he was involved in receiving bribes from ISL, the marketing agency that collapsed with massive multi-million dollar ebts in 2001.

“It is not only the world of football that is going through tough times because of claims of corruption, problems with racism, intolerance,” Rebelo told hundreds of delegates at the convention.

“These facts are undesirable.

“These are things that are happening in the whole world.”

Teixeira is coming under increasing pressure to step down as head of the Organising Committee and perhaps significantly Rebelo, a long-time critic, failed to offer him his support when asked if fresh leadership was required.

“This is nothing new, this has always been my opinion,” he said.

“The renewal and rotating system in any institution is always a good thing for sport and democracy.”

Perhaps an even bigger problem for organisers is the amount of work that Brazil’s infrastructure still needs before the country is ready to host the World Cup.

“Rest assured that Brazil will have a great World Cup in 2014,” Rebelo said.

“We are also going to have a good World Cup in terms of organisation.

“The Federal Government, the State Governments and the Municipal Governments of the 12 host cities are fully engaged in organising this event to meet all the expectations of the world, of our country, of the athletes, the tourists and the organizers and promoters.

“From Tibet to Patagonia humankind expects Brazil to have a good World Cup.”

Contact the writer of this story at zib.l1736726387labto1736726387ofdlr1736726387owedi1736726387sni@y1736726387akcam1736726387.nacn1736726387ud1736726387