The Ministry for Sports, Orlando Silva, has confirmed that the Brazilian Government, two weeks ago, made an invitation to the former soccer player Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, to be a kind of “councilor and ambassador of the country” in the 2014 FIFA World Cup™.
“This issue is still open and a decision has not yet been reached. However, the fact is that we had a meeting in São Paulo some two weeks ago.” For the Minister, “it would be very important to reach an agreement so that he could be a kind of ambassador for the Brazilian Government in promoting the country throughout the world.”
Mr. Silva assures that Pelé was “very excited” at the possibility. “We are now studying a schedule, and also details of the project, and we really hope that he can take part”.
The Minister also said that Pelé has criticized the pace of the work. “Pelé is an extraordinary man who knows Brazil and the rest of the world, and is also a very active voice in national life. Therefore, the warnings and concerns that he has shown are also concerns of the Brazilian Government.”
The concern with the time frames also brought to Brazil, on a visit last week, the General Secretary of the International Association Football Federation (FIFA) Jérôme Valcke, who was in Brasília to talk to Brazilian authorities about the schedule of the work.
The Minister participated in the opening of the 11th American Sports Council meeting, in the city of Rio de Janeiro.
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04/05 | News
