FIFA Delegation Abandons Itaquerão in the Middle of their Visit

03/21/2014 - 09h35

A visit by a delegation from FIFA yesterday to Itaquerão exposed the organization's dissatisfaction with the stadium, chosen to host the opening for the World Cup.

FIFA technicians came to the stadium in the morning for an inspection. They had meetings throughout the day.

Andres Sanchez, the Corinthians representative responsible for addressing issues at Itaquer, didn't even accompany the FIFA visit. The club's director was in a container, isolated from the group of inspectors.

According to the technicians who were present at the Corinthians stadium yesterday, the visit was considered a fiasco. They point out that they didn't expect to see the level of work that was seen.

VIPs areas, luxury boxes, and commercial spaces, as shown by Folha on Tuesday, according to inspectors, remain unfinished and there is not timetable for when they will be ready.

Itaquerão Stadium

An inspection in these areas unfinished took place in the morning, when meetings were also being held.

A series of meetings were scheduled for the afternoon to address the temporary structures of the Corinthians stadium.

But, as there is yet to be any indication of who will pay for the structures or when there will be a delivery of the materials, the FIFA committee decided to leave the arena and cancel the round of afternoon meetings.

The fact that Andres Sanchez did not participate in the inspection was also mentioned as an example of the sloppiness with the agreements reached between Corinthians and FIFA in delivering the required standards for a World Cup stadium.

VALCKE'S VISIT

The general secretary of FIFA, Jérôme Valcke, will visit Brazil next week to address the issue that most worries the organizers of the World Cup.

The French executive will hold talks from Monday to Thursday to discuss temporary structures for the World Cup stadiums.

Valcke's meeting with Brazilian organizers will be the last before installation begins.

Temporary facilities are FIFA's and the LOC's biggest worry because no hiring has yet been done for a few of the Cup venues.

The most glaring case is in Itaquerão, the most delayed World Cup stadium, where the problem has not been solved.

Temporary facilities, such as tents, fences and cables around the stadiums, are important for television broadcasting and for the sponsors of the event.

Contributed by RAFAEL REIS, special reporter in Zurich

Translated by STEVE HUGHES

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