By Andrew Warshaw
March 7 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter (pictured right) has heaped even more embarrassment on his number two, Jérôme Valcke (left), by formally writing to Brazil’s Sports Minister, Aldo Rebelo, apologising for Valcke’s disparaging remarks over the country’s slow progress in organising the 2014 World Cup.
Reports in Brazil said Rebelo spoke to Blatter on the phone after the latter said sorry in an open letter for comments made by FIFA general secretary Valcke.
Rebelo stressed Brazil’s commitment to foster “cooperation and harmony with FIFA in preparations for the Cup” in a conciliatory statement issued after their phone call.
Blatter’s written apology came 24 hours after Valcke sent a similar letter to Rebelo apologising for saying Brazil needed “a kick up the backside”, remarks which caused uproar in Brazil and prompted Rebelo to say he no longer wanted to deal with the Frenchman.
Blatter’s letter offered an “apology to all those who had their honour and pride wounded, especially the Brazilian Government and President Dilma Rousseff”.
“We waste time over conflicts,” Blatter wrote.
“We must work together.
“We have a common goal: to organise an extraordinary World Cup in the country of football, the country of champions.
“Brazil deserves to host the World Cup and the whole world is anxiously waiting for that to happen.”
Valcke, who is scheduled to visit Brazil for his latest tour of construction sites on Monday (March 12), claimed in his letter that his comments were misinterpreted.
But the fact remains he spoke in English.
Significantly, Blatter’s letter was delivered just hours before a Congressional Committee in Brazil finally agreed on the text of a crucial bill setting out legislation for the World Cup.
The Bill, known as the World Cup Law, gives FIFA the guarantees it requires – not least over the sale of alcohol in stadiums – and will now go to a plenary session in the lower house of Congress before going to the Senate.
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