By Andrew Warshaw
June 25 – FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke insists there is no Plan B for next year’s World Cup and no chance of stripping Brazil of hosting rights as a result of the anti-government protests that have swept through the country for the past fortnight.
Valcke admitted, however, that there had at one point been talks about whether to call off the ongoing Confederations Cup amid security concerns over the mass demonstrations.
“The Confederations Cup final will be played in Rio de Janeiro in Maracana next Sunday and the World Cup will be played next year in Brazil in the 12 host cities. We have six delivered and six to come before the end of the year,” said Valcke.
“The first game will happen in Sao Paulo, the final will be in Rio. There is no plan B. I have never received any official offer from any other countries to stage the World Cup in 2014.”
Valcke acknowledged, however, that the Confederations Cup had been a crucial dry run for the real thing. “Learning from the Confederations Cup will help with various things at the World Cup and I am sure security is one of them,” he told a news conference.
Valcke added to the BBC that FIFA did at one point meet government officials to discuss whether to cancel the Confederations Cup because of the unrest that has been using the tournament to highlight concerns over high transport fares, corruption and the cost of next year’s World Cup, with more than one million people taking to the streets.
“There was one evening on 20 June when we reached a peak in the country,” Valcke said. “The demonstrations had moved from being non-violent protests to a minority of violent protesters who were making a lot of noise and problems.
“So the following day we had a crisis meeting, including the government, the local organising committee and FIFA just to make sure we were on the same page, in order to end the tournament in the best possible way.”
Valcke, like his boss Sepp Blatter, said it was unfair to blame FIFA for the wave of social unrest. “We are not the answer to all problems and we are definitely not the reason for such a crisis. I am not saying that because I work for FIFA, as secretary general. But the light FIFA is being shown in here, is the wrong one.
“There are many, many things to do in Brazil. But the most important thing for us is to detach the World Cup or the Confederations Cup from these problems.”
But he did admit he had asked the Brazilian authorities for additional guarantees for the safety of players and officials. “After these days we asked to ensure the highest level of security, not only for the players but the media, the fans, for whoever has the wish to be part of the event. It is part of the responsibility of the state to deliver that high level of security system to protect all of us.”
Brazilian Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo, meanwhile, launched a bullish defence of his government’s ability to cope.
“The country has been able to overcome the challenge of providing the infrastructure, logistics and conditions for the matches to be held in the stadia in accordance with the requirements of this cup, in terms of comfort and security,” he said.
“And, I believe, everything will operate well for us to reach the final on Sunday with the conditions right for the country to offer to the world the idea that, in 2014, Brazil will be able to hold the World Cup based on the expectations of our country and the world.”
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