FIFA concerned about readiness of 3 stadiums
SAO PAULO — With time quickly running out, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke expressed concern about the preparations at three of the 12 World Cup stadiums during his final inspection of host cities.
During a two-week trip that ended on Thursday, Valcke sent warnings to organizers in Natal, Porto Alegre and Sao Paulo, which will play host to the World Cup’s opening match in 11 days.
He said it was a “race against the clock” in Natal and there was a lot “yet to be done” in Porto Alegre. Valcke said he was mostly satisfied with the other nine venues.
In Sao Paulo, FIFA will hold a second test event at the delayed Itaquerao Stadium that will play host to the Brazil-Croatia match on June 12, but it might not be able to fully test the stadium with a capacity crowd.
Only 40,000 tickets were being sold for today’s Brazilian league match being played at the venue because sections of temporary seats recently installed have not yet been certified by local building authorities.
FIFA wanted the stadium tested at full capacity at least once before nearly 70,000 people arrive for the opener. The temporary seats also weren’t used in the first official test event at the Itaquerao on May 18, when fewer than 37,000 people attended. Local organizers admitted there were problems at that match, including a leaking roof, but said overall they were satisfied with how the venue held up.
Valcke said last week that it was “vital” to test all Itaquerao facilities “under full match conditions, including the temporary seats.”
It is unlikely, however, that the venue will be tested at full capacity.
Valcke said he was pleased with the work underway in the other host cities, including Curitiba, which earlier this year was nearly excluded from the tournament because of chronic delays.
Valcke’s final stop on Thursday was in the northeastern city of Salvador, where he said there was “no time to waste” but praised the commitment of local organizers to have the stadium ready in time. The game in Salvador on June 13 will be a muchanticipated rematch of the 2010 final, when Spain defeated the Netherlands for the title in South Africa.
“All must be perfect that day,” Valcke said on Twitter.