By Andrew Warshaw
May 2 – Brazilian Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo and members of Brazil 2014 will meet FIFA President Sepp Blatter next week for potentially breakthrough talks on the troubled hosting of the World Cup.
A so-called working session on May 8 will embrace what FIFA described as “the latest status of preparations as well as the agenda for the next 24 months”.
The high-profile meeting at FIFA headquarters in Zurich will include FIFA general secretary Jérôme Valcke whose role as the organisation’s main World Cup coordinator has now been re-established following his colourful comments about Brazil’s lack of preparation that so riled the Brazilian authorities and led to both Valcke and Blatter issuing separate apologies.
Brazil 2014 will be represented, among others, by its new chairman José Maria Marin, who recently took over from Ricardo Teixeira, and by two former Brazilian greats, Ronaldo and Bebeto (pictured below, left and right), now members of the 2014 management board.
Last week Rebelo (pictured top) sought to allay fears about the 2014 hosts telling a conference call that the so-called World Cup Bill that has caused so much disagreement with FIFA would soon be passed by the Senate and that Brazil would fulfil all its duties.
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