South America Archives - Page 68 of 73 - Inside World Football

Tributes pour in for Ecuadorian striker Christian Benitez

Christian Benitez

By Andrew Warshaw
July 30 – Scores of tributes, including one from FIFA President Sepp Blatter, continue to pour in following the shock death of Ecuador international striker Christian Benitez from heart failure at the age of just 27. Benitez was rushed to hospital complaining of abdominal pains following his debut for Qatar’s El-Jaish as a late substitute on Sunday. He died the following day after what the Ecuadorean federation has now confirmed was a cardiac arrest.

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Fan bans relaxed as Maracana bows to supporter pressure

Brazilian fans

By Andrew Warshaw
July 22 – Brazilian authorities have backed down from a threat to ban shirtless and standing fans at the revamped Maracana stadium after the latest public outcry.

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Maracana’s new spectator rules spark fan backlash

maracana and Brazil

By Andrew Warshaw
July 15 – Having overcome a series of operational concerns during the recent Confederations Cup, Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Maracana stadium is now embroiled in another controversy – a ban on shirtless and standing fans.

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Ref kills player, fans kill ref in horrific amateur league violence in Brazil

da silva

By Paul Nicholson
July 6 – An amateur game in the Maranhão region of north eastern Brazil turned violent last weekend resulting in the death of a player and the match referee. Reports are that 30-year-old Josenir dos Santos Abreu approached the referee, 20-year-old Otávio Jordão da Silva (pictured), arguing about a decision. When da Silva then red carded Abreu, he reportedly threw a punch at da Silva, who then took out a pocket knife he was carrying with him,

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Confederations Cup show will go on, says FIFA and LOC

Brazil protests 2

By Paul Nicholson and Andrew Warshaw
June 21 – FIFA and Confederations Cup organisers have said the tournament will still continue as protests across Brazil intensified yesterday. World football’s governing body has said in a statement that neither “FIFA nor the LOC (local organizing committee) have ever discussed any such possibility” of cancelling the tournament.

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Valcke backs Brazilian infrastructure spend and reports all is now on track

233346 heroa

By Paul Nicholson in Rio
Against a backdrop of persistent public protests over the expense of staging the 2014 World Cup, FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke has defended Brazil’s investment by saying it will be of benefit long after the event.

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Fifa says protests being monitored but authorities will cope

Sao-Paulo-protest1

By Andrew Warshaw
June 17 – FIFA officials are “monitoring the situation” in Brazil after violent protests broke out two days running to coincide with the start of the Confederations Cup.

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Copacabana lights up to rhythm of football politics and business

Copacabana-Beach

By Paul Nicholson in Rio
June 16 – Everything happens late in Brazil, but it is happening. The Confederations Cup kicked off in Brasilia with the hosts knocking over Japan with ease. A result which, if not actually igniting frenetic fever for the event, has certainly woken the country from its pre-tournament slumber.

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Upbeat Blatter has ‘seen worse’ as Confederations Cup readies for kick off

233346 heroa

By Andrew Warshaw
June 14 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter is down playing fears that a number of stadiums will not be ready to stage the Confederations Cup, the traditional World Cup warm-up tournament that gets under way in Brasilia on Saturday when hosts Brazil take on Japan.

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Argentine FA issues two-match ban on away supporters after fan shot dead

Argentine fans

By Mark Baber
June 12 – Argentinean fans have been banned from attending away games for the next two matches following the death of Lanus football fan Daniel Jerez at the Clausura match between Estudiantes de La Plata and Lanus at the Ciudad de La Plata Stadium, near Buenos Aires, on Monday night

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Brazilian plans awash as Arena Fonte Nova stadium roof collapses

Arena Fonte Nova roof damage

By Mark Baber
May 28 – Just when it looked like everything was at last under control in Brazil in readiness for the Confedertion Cup which kicks off mid-June, another building disaster has sruck.

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Rousseff opens sixth stadium and declares Brazil is ready

Dilma Rousseff

By Andrew Warshaw
May 21 – Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff staged a bullish defence of her country’s preparations for the forthcoming Confederations Cup when she officially inaugurated the last of six stadiums being used for the World Cup warm-up event.

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Rio politicians call for Havelange’s name to be removed from Olympic stadium

joao havelange stadium

By Andrew Warshaw
May 9 – Rio de Janeiro politicians want the name of disgraced former FIFA president Joao Havelange removed from the city’s Olympic stadium in the wake of recent bribery findings.

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Brazil’s regulators focus on third party ownership in bid to collect tax ‘debts’

By Mark Baber
May 8 – Brazilian clubs, fighting proposals to ban third party ownership of players, face a new threat from their own government which is proposing to ban the controversial practice.

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Maracana cancels warm up game leaving just one test before Confederations Cup

Maracana Stadium

By Andrew Warshaw
May 8 – Brazil’s iconic Maracana is once again facing problems after a warm-up event at the revamped venue was cancelled.