Brazil will be ready in time for 2014 World Cup insists President

By David Gold

August 19 – Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff (pictured) has given a staunch defence of the country’s preparations for the 2014 World Cup despite continual delays on stadium renovation and the slow pace of expanding airport capacity.

“We have stadia which are still being built and these must be ready by December 2013 to be in an extremely calm and comfortable situation,” said Rousseff.

“There are others which are a little more delayed but all will be ready.

“I feel confident that Brazil will be ready in 2014 to present the best World Cup.

“Together with the Governors and the Mayors of the cities of the World Cup, we are taking all necessary measures to ensure that this will happen.”

A number of stadiums have endured difficulties, with the opening match of the World Cup set to be held in the Itaquera Stadium in São Paulo, on which work only began recently after delays caused by a dispute over funding its construction.

And construction on the Estádio das Dunas in Natal has not even begun yet, making it a real possibility that it may not be ready in time for 2014.

Neither the Itaquera or Estadio das Dunas will be used for the 2013 Confederations Cup, the quadrennial practice tournament held a year before the World Cup by the host country.

There is also still a chance that the famous Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, which is to host the final of the World Cup as well as the opening and closing ceremonies of the Rio Olympic Games in 2016, could be dropped from the Confederations Cup schedule.

It has had to have a new roof put in due to problems with the existing construction, while a strike was held by workers outside the ground earlier this week after an explosion which injured a worker.

Compounding those problems is the fact that Brazil faces a race against time to increase air capacity by 2014 in order to satisfy the huge demand it is expecting during the World Cup and the Olympic Games two years later.

Earlier this year, it was reported that 10 of 13 airports being upgraded for 2014 would not be ready in time for the start of the tournament to cope with the volume of traffic expected.

The Government has handed over upgrades of three airports, in Guarulhos, São Paulo and Brasilia, to private companies in a bid to solve the problem, and this model could be rolled out further if it proves successful.

World Cup preparations have also been marred by growing anger with Organising Committee chief Ricardo Teixeira, also the President of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and a FIFA Executive Committee member.

It was revealed earlier this week that Teixeira is being investigated by police over allegedly being involved in the embezzlement of money from a Brazil friendly with Portugal in 2008.

Legendary Brazilian forward Romario, now a politician, attacked Teixeira for holding three posts at the same time, while the CBF chief’s relations with the country’s press has become increasingly strained recently.

And fans are now turning the heat up on Teixeira by planning a series of protests in a bid to force him to step down from his World Cup role.

Twenty supporters’ groups, who represent a number of teams including Brazilian championship leaders Corinthians, are planning matchday demonstrations next weekend.

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