Romário delighted by Ronaldo's involvement with Brazil 2014

By David Gold

December 19 – Romário has praised fellow Brazilian great Ronaldo’s involvement in the Organising Committee for the 2014 World Cup, saying that his face means they have “everything to make the competition a success”.

Ronaldo (pictured above right with Romario), who retired from football earlier this year having scored a record 15 goals at World Cups during an illustrious playing career, was appointed as a member of the Organising Committee at the start of this month.

Having visited the Organising Committee last week, Romário, now a Congressman, sounded a more upbeat tone about the World Cup, having been fiercely critical of its organisation previously.

He has also criticised the Organising Committee head Ricardo Teixeira, also the Brazilian Football Federation chief, on numerous occasions and called for him to relinquish some of his responsibilities.

Teixeira has been under increasing pressure recently amid a fraud investigation against him at home and the possibility of FIFA releasing files relating the collapse of their former marketing partner ISL, which are believed to incriminate the Brazil 2014 chief.

He also enjoys increasingly frosty relationships with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and FIFA President Sepp Blatter, and world football’s governing body General Secretary Jérôme Valcke reportedly put pressure on Teixeira to relinquish his role at the forefront of the organisation for the World Cup.

Teixeira has been blamed for many of the problems Brazil has faced, from delaying and passing on the decision to name host cities to FIFA, thus putting back preparations, and the slow pace at which infrastructure, particularly airport capacity, have been upgraded.

“[Ronaldo’s] credibility is everything to make the competition a success,” said Romário, convinced that Ronaldo’s presence would bring real change to the organisation of Brazil 2014.

“Now, Brazilian football and the Cup have a face.

“[Ronaldo] will have an active and important role on the Organising Committee council.

“Many people said he would just be a badge – it won’t be like that, Brazil will now be looked at differently.”

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