By Andrew Warshaw
January 17 – FIFA general secretary Jérôme Valcke (pictured) has repeated his call for a quick resolution to Brazilian legislation in order to prevent holdups over the 2014 World Cup.
Valcke has embarked on his bi-monthly visit to the country amid continued concerns over alcohol-selling laws in stadiums and demands for lower ticket prices for students and pensioners.
Discount tickets represent 10 per cent of total ticket sales for the World Cup in a country where the minimum monthly wage is $240 (£156/€188).
“There is a time you have to give birth to this law,” Valcke told reporters.
“We are so closer to give birth to this law, the nine months are over, we are ready to bring it out.”
Valcke was accompanied by the country’s Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo (pictured centre) and by Brazilian football icon Ronaldo (right), who last year accepted an invitation to play a prominent role on the 2014 World Cup Organising Committee, though there remains some confusion as to whether he has actually taken over the lead role from Ricardo Teixeira.
“We also have a strong commitment from the Congress to vote on the 2014 bill in the first part of March,” said Rebelo, who acknowledged that a few points remained to be solved.
“It will be done.
“I want to reassure everybody of the willingness and commitment of President (Dilma Rousseff) and the Government of Brazil to make every effort to make the 2014 FIFA World Cup a success.”
Valcke is to visit soccer stadiums in the north-eastern cities of Fortaleza and Salvador de Bahia – two of the 12 Brazilian cities that will stage World Cup games.
Brazilian authorities are facing a race against time to build or renovate the 12 stadiums.
Last week former World Cup winner Romário, now a member of Brazil’s socialist party, warned Brazil would not be “100 per cent ready”.
“Of the 12 stadiums maybe 10 will be ready,” he said in a magazine interview.
“As to work on public transportation, none of the cities involved will be able to complete it fully.”
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