FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke has again raised concerns over Brazil's World Cup preparations, saying "we are not ready" and that the stadium for the opening game is one of two venues that worry him most, according to the AP. Valcke said that the stadiums in Sao Paulo, where the opening game will be played June 12, and Porto Alegre in the south were "where we have more work to do than in the other 10." Asked to describe Brazil's status, Valcke said, "If you want me to summarize ... we are not ready" (AP, 4/2). The BBC reported Valcke insisted there is "no way" that fixtures will be postponed. Porto Alegre Mayor Jose Fortunati said that "the city may drop out if additional funding was not found to build facilities for media, sponsors and fans." But Valcke, who visited Brazil last week, insisted that "finance was available." Valcke: "Maybe there will be things which will not be totally ready at the beginning of the World Cup, but the most important thing for the 32 teams is the training camp and fields" (BBC, 4/2). REUTERS' Alonso Soto reported Brazil's unfinished Arena Pantanal stadium in Cuiaba "has held its first match since an October blaze raised fears it would not be ready in time to host World Cup games this summer." The match between Mixto and Santos in the Brazilian Cup on Wednesday "was open to only 20,000 fans, about half of the stadium's planned capacity." Local media said some 23,000 seats "still needed to be installed before the stadium's official opening game on April 26" (REUTERS, 4/3).
