FIFA Feels the Pressure to Deliver Brazil 2014 Success

(ATR) Jerome Valcke, the FIFA No. 2 charged with delivering a successful World Cup, tells Around the Ringshe won’t be a relieved man until after the final whistle.

After his "kick up the backside" comments of two years ago, when the Frenchman’s frustrations boiled over at Brazil’s lack of progress, Valcke has repeatedly warned World Cup organizers to accelerate preparations – to little effect.

The build-up to the tournament has been hit by crisis after crisis, from chronic stadium delays to the tragic deaths of workers on several stadiums and the Brazilian government’s admission that a large chunk of infrastructure will not be ready. A handful of the 12 stadiums were delivered late, including Sao Paulo’s Arena Corinthians where the final temporary seats were only installed earlier this week.

It’s been a headache from start to finish for Valcke, who will take the flak if things go wrong.

Today, he will learn if the São Paulo Metro workers' union will vote to resume their subway strike on the opening day of the World Cup that would bring transport chaos.

In an exclusive interview with ATR in Sao Paulo, he was in an upbeat mood ahead of Thursday’s opening match between Brazil and Croatia.

Asked if he was relieved that Brazil’s preparations had finally come together, albeit with some stadiums still unfinished around the edges, he said: "I will be relieved at the end of the World Cup because that is, so to say, what I am paid for.

"That is my role at FIFA to deliver the World Cup.

"When the final will be over, when the winner will have their trophy, then it’s fine for me."

Valcke insisted that World Cup organizers and FIFA had worked flat out in recent days to put the final touches to preparations.

"Our teams have worked so well over the last two weeks that all the technical installations which are needed are there. We have run a number of tests. We are still working on all of this to make sure it is efficient."

He added: "We have done all we that need to do to have the World Cup, so now let’s just speak football and have football."

Final Touches

Earlier this week, ATR reported on the hospitality areas at Sao Paulo’s stadium, which clearly required significant work around the clock to provide FIFA’s sponsors with suitable venues in which to entertain their corporate guests.

"In six hours, you can put flowers and plants all around and it looks all amazing. It’s more ‘look and feel,' more than the installation, because the installations [marquees] are there," he said.

"It’s an important village because we have 18,000 hospitality guests for the opening game.

"But it’s more the visual," he added, saying only the fit-out with sponsors’ banners and decorations were needed to spruce up the VIP area to "create a nice environment, and there will be no more question about the readiness. I really think that we are into the detail, not any more into the hard work."

Also front of mind for Valcke is the threat of protests hanging over the opening ceremony and tournament opener at Arena Corinthians.

More than 61,000 spectators will watch Brazil take on Croatia, which will be beamed out to billions watching on television. World Cup organisers can’t afford to ill-judge the policing effort required and how they deal with demonstrators if protests turn ugly. Violent confrontations, similar to those seen during the Confederations Cup, would damage Brazil’s reputation as a football-loving nation.

"If there are protests, there will be protests," Valcke said.

"But the opening game of the World Cup will take place with a full stadium and the heads of state who are coming, the media, the fans, the teams, the officials, they will all access the stadium in the best condition.

Putting his faith in law enforcement agencies, he appeared to dismiss FIFA’s critics who have slated football’s governing body for the $4 billion in commercial revenues it will rake in from the tournament.

"The World Cup is not for FIFA. The World Cup is for Brazil and the world, so I hope that all will be fine," he added.

Asked to comment Qatar World Cup bribery allegations that have rocked FIFA’s foundations on the eve of the tournament and again cast doubt over Sepp Blatter’s integrity and leadership, he laughed off ATR’s question.

"Say whatever you wish about the World Cup, but Qatar, no," he said, pointing to the independent investigation into the corruption allegations swirling around Qatar, conducted by U.S. lawyer Michael Garcia, who would update the FIFA Congress today.

Written by Mark Bisson

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