FIFA President, Joseph Blatter, expressed his preference for the city of Rio de Janeiro to host the opening match of World Cup 2014, instead of São Paulo, as intended by the organization staff.
"There is definitively a dispute between Rio and São Paulo to host the opening event. But we already approved the installation of the media center in Rio and the FIFA organization headquarters will be also located in that city. Therefore, the most adequate city to host the opening event is Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian soccer has the face of Rio. And Rio is undoubtedly the most attractive city to open a Cup opening event," stated Blatter in interview to "Estado de S. Paulo" newspaper.
When Brazil was chosen to host the World Cup 2014, the opening event was determined to occur in São Paulo and the closing event in Rio de Janeiro.
The frustrated project for adequacy of the Morumbi stadium, initially chosen by the organizers to open the World Cup, and the further delay in consolidating the construction of a new stadium, in this case Itaquerão, caused anger in FIFA.
This delay eliminated the city of São Paulo from the Confederations Cup, to be hosted by Brazil in 2013.
Other host cities, like Brasília and Belo Horizonte, with stadium construction works in more advanced stages, were considered to receiving the opening match.
"The major hindrance for the organization of the Cup in Brazil has been the political disputes among mayors, governors and the federal government. It may be turned into a great obstacle. Brazil will surely host a great Cup. But this political struggle must be solved," declared the FIFA President.
Blatter also said that the relations between CBF and the Brazilian Government were "easier" with the ex-President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva when compared with the President Dilma Rousseff.
However, the Swiss manager discarded the fear of "chaos" in the Cup organization, but warned on the problem in the infrastructure of airports, a situation for which FIFA has assigned a special advisor to collaborate with the government in this field.
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04/05 | News
