FIFA Says Financial Impasse Threatening Corinthians Stadium Has Been Resolved

FIFA said on Friday that a financial impasse that has threatened to cause more delays at Sao Paulo's World Cup stadium "has been resolved," according to Brian Homewood of REUTERS. The Itaquerao stadium, "being built by the Corinthians club, is due to open on April 15, nearly four months after the December 31 deadline set by FIFA although Brazilian media reports said this week it might not even be ready by then." There had been uncertainty over who would finance temporary installations such as media and VIP facilities, sponsors' tents and stadium screens, but FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke said that "this had now been sorted out." Valcke: "The Corinthians arena is the purpose of a meeting on Monday, the financial issue has been solved and now we have to make sure (everything is ready) because we only have 80 days to implement everything we need" (REUTERS, 3/21).