Stadiums where 2014 FIFA World Cup™ matches shall be held shall only be usable in national competitions six to eight months after the World Cup final. This comment was made yesterday (August 9) by the Lieutenant-Colonel of the 2nd Battalion of the Riot Police (Polícia de Choque) of São Paulo, Carlos Savioli, at a public hearing of the Committee for Tourism and Sports (Comissão de Turismo e Desporto) of the Brazilian Parliament.
According to Mr. Savioli, this time frame shall be necessary so that the infrastructure of the stadiums may be adapted to the local reality. The reason for this quarantine period was the subject of debate at the hearing: the violence of supporters’ groups at football matches. “The stadiums shall have to comply with FIFA standards, which do not allow the use of wire fencing and also that the supporters have the right to be close to the side lines, standards which cannot be applied here as yet due to the violence we still have”, said the Lieutenant-Colonel.
One example, according to Mr. Savioli, is the stadium of Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, which is currently being constructed in the East Zone of the city and which shall surely need readaptation.
Prosecutor Pedro Rubim Borges, do Rio de Janeiro, said that in his state the Courts are trying to establish Constant dialogue with supporters’ groups (torcidas organizadas), so that these may kick out those members considered bad supporters. “There are good and bad supporters, in the supporters’ groups of all clubs. The role of the Courts is that of separating the wheat from the chaff”, he said.
Congressman Romário, from the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) of the State of Rio de Janeiro, has remembered the declaration of adjustment of conduct (Termo de Ajustamento de Conduta – TAC) which seeks to achieve an agreement with the supporters’ groups, in a move to reduce the violence which has been observed at football matches in the country. In relation to supporters’ groups, fellow congressman Acelino Popó (Brazilian Republic Party, State of Bahia) highlighted the link between the clubs and the different supporters’ groups. “This relationship should lead to a result where the clubs are also held responsible for any acts of violence committed by their supporters”, he said.
For Mr. Savioli, in cases of violence involving supporters’ groups, it is the bad supporter who should be punished, and not the management of the institution. “In many cases, the vandals do not have any relationship whatsoever with the management”.
The special advisor on football of the Ministry of Sports, Sergio Velloso, gives, as an example of actions towards security in stadiums, the installation of surveillance cameras in the units with capacity of more than 10 thousand supporters. “This action shall be implemented first in the stadiums with highest violence rates and, at the same time, the Ministry has entered into a partnership with the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV) so that this institution may draw up a guide, which shall help in the construction of new stadiums, when it comes to security and infrastructure”.
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04/05 | News
