Fifa and Corinthians Agree to Deliver São Paulo Stadium for World Cup in December

05/16/2013 - 08h49

A day after threatening Itaquerão, Corinthians's future stadium, Jérôme Valcke, the general secretary of Fifa, the world's governing body of soccer, said yesterday that São Paulo will host the 2014 World Cup.

After a meeting of directors of Fifa, Corinthians and the LOC (Local Organizing Committee), it was decided that the deadline to deliver the stadium is December 31, 2013.

"I'll be very clear: The World Cup will be held in 12 Brazilian cities and one of them is São Paulo," Valcke said in a press conference yesterday.

Nacho Doce/Venderlei Almeida/Reuters/AFP

Andres Sanchez (left), former president of Corinthians and FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke

A day earlier, he had said that there would be "a discussion" on the São Paulo stadium and that Fifa "can change the entire game schedule until the beginning of the ticket sales, on August 1."

The answer of Andres Sanchez, the Corinthians manager in charge of the construction of Itaquerão, followed suit. "They should feel free to do so if they believe they must change the stadium that will host the World Cup opening," he said, also in a statement.

"There has been a misunderstanding, but São Paulo and Corinthians are aware of their responsibilities," said Andres Sanchez yesterday. "The schedule agreed on with Fifa will be respected."

Itaquerão will receive the opening game and five other World Cup matches.

Translated by THOMAS MUELLO

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