Cursing and corruption

06/27/2013 - 03h30

Fifa apparently prohibits cursing at football games. Or so an avid Vasco fan tells me. I don't know if this is true. But it seems probable. Though I don't see how such a rule can be enforced. But then I suppose it is easier for Fifa to prohibit cursing at football games than it is to prohibit corruption in football.

It is a pity that Nelson Rodrigues, the great Brazilian iconoclast, playwright, journalist and novelist (and avid Fluminense fan) was not around this past week to comment on the popular uprisings on the streets of Brazil.

He was usually sceptical about such movements: "A grande vaia é mil vezes mais forte, mais poderosa, mais nobre do que a grande apoteose. Os admiradores corrompem". Dilma Rousseff and "Sepp" Blatter might have noted this admonition.

"Sepp" Blatter will be back in Brazil this week for the final of the Confederations Cup. He has not (apparently) been seeking a "plan B" for next year's World Cup if Brazil is deemed incapable of staging it, though Blatter could always of course encourage Doha to bring forward its plans (Doha afterall has the money).

Qatar, the tiny Gulf emirate, is the world's top liquid gas exporter and has allocated 40% of its budget in 2016 to infrastructure projects, and is expected to spend US$ 220 billion in preparations for hosting the World Cup in 2022, including US$ 5.5 billion to create an island with floating hotels to house the football fans.

In Qatar, homosexuality is illegal. But "Sepp" Blatter joked that gay football fans could abstain from sex while they were there. Fifa is "investigating" claims that bribes were paid in the run up to Qatar's victory. The Emir of Qatar has just handed over power to his 33 year old son in a peaceful transition.

The population of Qatar is 1.9 million. Well over a million turned out on the streets of Brazil in protest last week. President Dima Rousseff has suggested a plebiscite and has promised more money for public transportation and education. Much of this is to be financed (apparently) by the (anticipated) royalties from petroleum. But Eike Batista's enterprises are already in deep trouble. As is (apparently) Petrobras. Many outside financial advisers say Brazil needs less state control, not more, but this is not on president Rousseff's agenda.

Nelson Rodriques said that "Maracanã tem a vocação e a nostalgia da vaia. Repito: lá vaia-se tudo, desde o minuto de silêncio. E, antes da entrada dos times, vaia-se o gramado".

After what happened in Brasília, we will see how it goes this weekend in Rio.