Brazil has done harder things than the World Cup, says country's Sports Minister

By David Gold

April 30 – Brazil’s Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo has sought to allay fears about the 2014 World Cup they are hosting, insisting that they are working hard and that the country “has done more important and more difficult things”.

Rebelo took part in a teleconference with international journalists and told them that the World Cup will be a big success for “Brazil and the world”.

Construction work in Brazil has been plagued by delays, and though all the stadia being used for the competition, currently being either built or renovated, will be ready in time, more than half are still less than 50 per cent completed (Maracanã stadium pictured below).

Airport capacity is another serious concern for organisers as they hope to upgrade existing infrastructure in time for 2014.

In recent months, the biggest hurdle has been the passing of the World Cup law, which has been continually blocked in the Brazilian Congress, though it recently finally passed a crucial stage in the lower house and is now awaiting approval from the upper house, the Senate.

“The World Cup bill has passed in the chamber of deputies and is expected to pass soon in the Senate,” Rebelo said.

“Both FIFA and the Brazilian Government has a common interest in hosting a great World Cup,” he added, before hinting at the cause of some of the disputes between the two recently over the World Cup law, which FIFA insist Brazil signed with guarantees when it was awarded the right to host the competition.

“FIFA…is still a private entity, and the Brazilian Government is working towards Brazil’s national interests.

“Therefore there might be different views and interpretations of the guarantees Brazil is providing in relation to the law of the World Cup.

“We are looking forward to common understanding and good relations with FIFA.”

In response to a question from insideworldfootball if delays were caused by issues with the World Cup, Rebelo said: “There is no hindrance to the organisation of the World Cup because the Bill is just a detailed explanation of the commitments that Brazil has undertaken.

“There is a lot of work, and we are willing to work…just like South Africa, Japan and South Korea, Germany have done in the past, and Russia and Qatar will be doing in the future, we are working hard to organise the World Cup.

“The World Cup is a majestic and very important event but Brazil has done more important and more difficult things.”

One major change recently has been the departure from the Brazilian football scene, after 23 years, of Ricardo Teixeira (pictured above, left with Ronaldo), who was head of both Brazil 2014 and the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF).

The Sports Minister, whose Government appeared to enjoy an increasingly frosty relationship with Teixeira during his final months in power, insisted that the rapport with the new CBF and World Cup chief, José Maria Marin, is the same as it was with his predecessor.

Rebelo said their relationship was one of “cooperation, understanding and independence”, and also insisted that criticism of his country’s preparations for the World Cup, which have come from both outside as well as within Brazil, is something they welcome.

“Criticism is something natural in a democracy,” he said.

“Nobody can expect to do anything in a democracy without being subject to the filter of criticism, and we welcome every critic with an open mind.

“We will fulfil our duties and our commitments and hold a World Cup just like the United States, Asia and Europe has done before.

“And it will be a big success for Brazil and the world.”

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