adminFIFA president Sepp Blatter has hit out at Brazil’s failings in delivering the 2014 World Cup, saying that no previous host country has “been so far behind in its preparations.”Six of the nation’s 12 host stadiums failed to meet Fifa’s December 31 deadline, while work on hotels, airports and roads have also been affected by delays.
And when asked if Brazil realised the scale of work involved, the Fifa chief told Swiss newspaper 24 Heures: “No. Brazil has just found out what it means and has started work much too late.
“No country has been so far behind in its preparations since I have been at Fifa even though it is the only host nation which has had so much time – seven years – in which to prepare.”
Blatter, who admitted in December that there is “no plan B”, pointed out that Brazil have had seven years to prepare since being awarded the tournament, as previous hosts have only had six years or less.
Three of their stadiums are not likely to be finished until April, including the Itaquera Arena in Sao Paulo, which will host the opening match between Brazil and Croatia on June 12.
The Brazilian government said it would be completed in February, only for Fifa to confirm another deadline of April 15.
Last summer’s Confederations Cup, also held in Brazil, was dominated by protests, and Blatter feels the World Cup could feature more of the same.
“I am an optimist not a pessimist. So I am not worried,” he said. “But we do know there will again be manifestations, protests. Those during the Confederations Cup – in this same country – were generated out of the social networks.
“There was no specific goal but during the World Cup the protests will perhaps be more concrete, more organised. But I also believe the football will be safe, I do not believe that Brazilians will attack the football directly. For them, it’s a religion.”
Blatter also dropped another hint that he may change his mind and stand again for the Fifa presidency in 2015. He said: “I cannot answer with a yes or a no but simply state that I do not feel tired enough to say that I will not stand.”
Meanwhile, Brazil 2014 will be fun, but expensive for the average fan and the Ghana FA discussed ticket issues yesterday. The GFA will hold a press conference to discuss issues about the application and purchasing of World Cup tickets to brief the media, registered supporters groups and the public about the modalities in acquiring tickets.
On top of the tickets on general sale, Fifa has confirmed that eight percent of the capacity of each stadium will be reserved for fans of the competing teams. In all there are around three million tickets on sale. Around 1 million have been sold already. Ghana qualified for the World Cup finals after beating Egypt.
The World Cup will be hugely expensive, logistically challenging and has a very high probability of ending in crushing disappointment. But fan groups say that those Black Stars supporters planning a trip to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup will at least be guaranteed a ticket and the experience of a lifetime.
Ghana have become used to taking very decent crowds to the big tournaments, even in South Africa, where huge swaths of the stadiums were draped with the red, yellow, green and black.
But informed estimates place the travelling army of fans at less than 1,000, with the already high cost of travelling to Brazil and eye-watering accommodation prices swollen further by the need to travel to Ghana’s group games over long distances.
Forecasts show that Ghana fans are going to apply for tickets for the group stages but that pragmatism would mean fewer than usual would apply for the second round and quarter finals. Many would apply for a ticket for the final as well though “just in case” in the expectation of leaping on a plane back to Brazil in the unlikely event that Ghana reach it.- Soccernet.
Online Reporter