February 27 – FIFA has defended the traditional World Cup fan fests due to take place in the 12 host cities in Brazil after one venue said it was ditching the idea because of expense. “FIFA has worked in close cooperation with the host cities to guarantee that costs will be kept to a minimum,” said Jerome Valcke, FIFA’s secretary general.
Valcke said FIFA was giving “significant financial help” in providing infrastructure for the fan fests which, he said, would provide international exposure.
His response came after Recife reneged on a plan to invest at least BrR11 million ($4.7 million) in setting up a fan fest, although it said it would still hold one if private investors could be found.
The fests are traditionally a way of allowing fans without tickets to watch games together in a party atmosphere. But the reluctance in Brazil to use public money reflects the recent street demonstrations that have protested against the $14 billion World Cup spend and insufficient investment in public services such as transport, health and education.
Meanwhile Brazilian hackers are threatening to disrupt the World Cup with attacks ranging from jamming websites to data theft, the latest challenge for a competition already marred by protests, delays and overspending.
“The attacks will be directed against official websites and those of companies sponsoring the Cup,” a hacker known as Che Commodore told Reuters.
“It’s not a question of whether the Cup will be targeted, but when,” William Beer, a cybersecurity expert with the consultancy firm Alvarez & Marsal, was quoted by Reuters.
Contact the writer of this story at andrew.warshaw@insideworldfootball,com