Brazil Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo “criticized ‘unacceptable’ comments by FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke about slow preparations for the 2014 World Cup and said Saturday that the government plans to cut ties with him,” according to Tales Azzoni of the AP. Valcke said "things are not working in Brazil" and "not a lot is moving" with stadium building and infrastructure renovation just two years before the World Cup and a year before the Confederations Cup. Rebelo said that “the government ‘can no longer have the secretary general as a representative’ and called for FIFA to assign another official.” Valcke on Saturday said that Rebelo “should address the problems and called the move juvenile.” Rebelo: "We have always had a cordial attitude toward everyone from FIFA here in Brazil. We can't accept to hear such an offensive comment. He can't say something like that about a country. It's unacceptable." Rebelo said that he “understands Valcke will keep his duties as FIFA's secretary general and work closely with local organizers, but the Brazilian government will not welcome him when he comes to the country.” Rebelo said that Valcke's comments “contradict FIFA's own evaluation of the country's preparations after a visit in January.” A team of nearly 40 people from FIFA and the local organizing committee this week will “inspect six of the 12 host cities.” Azzoni noted World Cup host city of Porto Alegre is “in danger of being dropped,” and a renovation on the Beira-Rio stadium “stopped more than eight months ago after a lack of financial guarantees” (AP, 3/3). BLOOMBERG NEWS’ Tariq Panja noted relations between FIFA and the Brazilian government “became strained as the country failed to ratify legislation on hosting the tournament.” Brazil had “committed to passing the bill when it was awarded the right to stage the $5 billion event five years ago.” Valcke on Friday said that he was “frustrated with the ‘endless discussions’ in congress about the proposed World Cup law.” He said that FIFA had “made concessions to get the bill passed, like accepting demands for reduced priced tickets for senior citizens and changing the wording of what it required in government guarantees.” The two sides have “yet to agree on the sale of alcohol in stadiums, illegal in Brazil.” FIFA’s demands for sponsor protection “have also sparked criticism” (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 3/3).
