Blatter urges Brazil to hasten preparations

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has called on 2014 World Cup hosts Brazil to speed up their preparations for the competition.

Speaking on Monday, the 75-year-old warned tournament organisers that they were lagging behind the progress predecessors South Africa had made at the same stage of their preparations for the 2010 edition. Brazil will host the Confederations Cup in 2013 as a warm-up to FIFA’s showcase event the following year, but Blatter is concerned that without improvements, matches may not be able to take place in some major cities.”I would like to tell my Brazilian colleagues about the 2014 World Cup, it’s tomorrow, the Brazilians think it’s just the day after tomorrow,” Blatter said.”We are hoping for a little good faith, things are not advancing very quickly.””If we compare South Africa and Brazil three years before the World Cup, then Brazil has not got as far as South Africa in its preparations.””If Brazil keeps going like this there will not be matches in Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo at the Confederations Cup.”Blatter also revealed that he will be announcing a major new anti-corruption plan at the FIFA Congress in June. “I will present something very special there but I will not now disclose the contents – it is to fight corruption, all cheating and discrimination,” he said.The Swiss, who is contesting an election to the presidency against Asian Football Confederation chief Mohammad Bin Hamman, does not believe his age should be a factor in determining the next leader of the game’s governing body.”Age is not a question of a number of years, it’s a question of what you are able to do,” he said. “It is the FIFA Congress which will decide whether I am too old or not.”