The Brazilian northeastern coastal city of Recife said that it "will no longer pay for FIFA’s Fan Fest," an outdoor screening venue for fans without tickets, at this year’s event, according to Tariq Panja of BLOOMBERG. The fan zones "were popular" during the 2006 World Cup in Germany and "attract thousands of visitors," giving FIFA’s sponsors "an opportunity to promote their brands." Recife World Cup Secretary George Braga said that the city "can’t spare" the 11M reais ($4.6M), down from an initial estimate of 20M reais ($8.4M), for the event. Braga: “Recife is all in favor of holding the World Cup and is on hand to help in any way it can. But we’ve been thinking about the Fan Fest and came to the conclusion that we alone cannot bear the costs of it.” FIFA said that it "had been working closely with the host cities to ensure that the costs to stage a Fan Fest were kept to the minimum" (BLOOMBERG, 2/17).
VALCKE HITS BACK: The AP's Tales Azzoni reported FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke "has criticized the decision of a Brazilian host city to cancel its Fan Fest." Valcke: "Not having a Fan Fest is a mistake, to make it very clear." Valcke "dismissed the idea that FIFA profits from such events," saying they are something "for the city" and the local fans. Valcke: "A Fan Fest is a big part of the organization of the World Cup. If you don't have a Fan Fest, you are missing something ... (the) kind of communion of people playing a game, playing a part of what a World Cup is for a country" (AP, 2/16).
