FIFA blasts Brazil´s poor World Cup progress

FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke has lamented Brazil’s inefficient and sluggish 2014 World Cup preparations in a scathing indictment.

Speaking at the World Football Forum in Moscow on Friday, Valcke said FIFA had serious reservations about the pace with which Brazil 2014 organisers were putting together the necessary infrastructure to stage the tournament.

Brazil were awarded their second World Cup after rival bidding nation Colombia withdrew their candidacy.

At the time their bid book promised to deliver new stadia, airports and a transport system linking the country, though these outcomes are still a long way from being achieved.

“They have much still to deliver,” Valcke said.

“We do not have the stadia, we don’t have airports, we don’t have a national transportation system in place.”

Rio di Janeiro’s iconic Maracana Stadium has been mooted as the venue of the 2014 final but it is still in the early stages of a major reconstruction, according to Valcke.

“We cannot have a stadium ready at the last minute… meaning that it will already be two months or two weeks prior to the World Cup,” he said.

“The stadia are the most important things. We are more advanced in Russia (for the 2018 finals) even than we are in Brazil.”

Earlier this week, Brazil legend Romario said his nation needed divine intervention to be ready for the tournament.

“Only (Jesus) can ensure Brazil stage the best Cup. If he comes down in the next three years, then it will be possible,” said Romario, who was part of the Brazilian bid committee.

“Back then, when the Cup was handed to Brazil, there was much celebration. I said two things: Brazil not only had the conditions to hold the World Cup but also the best of all time.”

“I hold by the first idea (but) I withdraw the second because, from what I’m seeing, things aren’t going to happen. We’ll have the Cup but sadly we’ll have problems and it won’t be the best.”