By Samindra Kunti
November 2 – The Brazilian capital Brasilia is in danger of missing out as a host city for the Olympic football tournament as the city’s dire economic situation may prevent it from signing the required contracts.
Brasilia is penciled in to host Olympic football matches at the state-of-the art Mane Garrincha stadium, a venue during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Brasilia hosted five matches during that tournament, including the third-place playoff between hosts Brazil and The Netherlands.
Brasilia has been laboring under the enormous expense of the stadium which cost €839 million to build, far more than the original price projection of €316 million. The Brazilian capital is a football-anaemic city, lacking a top-flight club, and it was always feared that the stadium would turn into a white elephant once the 2014 World Cup ended and FIFA left town.
Reuters reported that the Rio2016 organising committee has given the city another two weeks to sign a contract or face losing its seven matches. Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Manuas and Salvador are the other host cities for the Olympic football tournament. It’s unclear what will happen to ticket holders for matches in Brasilia if the matches have to be moved elsewhere.
The city has been struggling to maintain the stadium at a cost of €2.25 million a year. During the 2016 Rio Olympic Games the city would be contracted to bear the costs of hosting matches, while the organising committee would enjoy the profits. Officials have not projected what hosting the seven matches might cost, according to Reuters.
In January, Rodrigo Rollemberg became the new governor of Brasilia, Brazil’s federal district. The city has debts topping €1 billion.
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