Valcke's Brazil 2014 gaffe continues to haunt him as he's snubbed by Government

By Andrew Warshaw

April 4 – FIFA general secretary Jérôme Valcke’s (pictured) fraught relationship with Brazil 2014 is again taking centre stage amid reports that he has been snubbed by the Brazilian Government in the continuing fallout over his infamous “kick up the backside” remarks.

Valcke was supposed to meet with a Congressional Commission of the Brazilian Senate next week to discuss the so-called World Cup bill covering alcohol sales and discounted tickets that has caused so much debate and anguish.

But his first visit since upsetting 2014 World Cup hosts is now in doubt, according to Brazilian reports, with FIFA President Sepp Blatter requested to step in and replace his number two.

“We do not accept FIFA’s caretaker,” a Senate statement said.

“What was approved was a meeting with Blatter not with his aide.”

Senators are awaiting Blatter’s answer before deciding whether they will agree to talk to Valcke after all.

“We will insist that FIFA’s President comes here so we can increase the status of the debate,” one of them told local media.

The latest twist follows recent public assurances by Blatter (pictured right) that the spat between Valcke and Brazilian organisers over slow preparations has finally been put to bed.

In a diplomatic troubleshooting exercise, both men apologised for Valcke’s suggestion that the 2014 hosts needed a kick up the backside to get preparations back on track.

But after warnings by Brazil that it no longer wanted to deal with Valcke, Blatter paid a personal clear-the-air visit to the country’s President Dilma Rousseff, then assured everyone that Valcke would be resuming his duties as FIFA’s main World Cup coordinator.

Although the World Cup bill was finally approved by Congress last week, it threatens to become bogged down in the Senate over the controversy of alcohol being sold in stadia, banned in Brazil since 2003 but part of the guarantees required by FIFA from World Cup hosts.

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