FIFA president Sepp Blatter said the incidents that took place at the aborted Copa Sudamericana final in Sao Paulo last week should give Brazilian organizersof the 2014 World Cup pause to consider what can go wrong if they don’t take the proper security measures.
Wednesday’s abandoned match between Sao Paolo and Tigre of Argentina in thefinal of the Copa Sudamericana — South America’s second most important club competition — was a black mark for all concerned.
The game was already deteriorating late in the first halfwhen Tigre’s Lucas Orban punched young Sao Paulo star Lucas out of the sight of the referee. Badly outplayed andtrailing 2-0 after only 28 minutes, Tigre players scuffled with their Brazilian opponents on the way off the field at the half.
What happened after that isn’t entirely clear, but Tigre’sDamian Albil claimed 15 security guards ambushed him and his teammates in the visiting locker room and beat them with batons. He also said one of guards pulleda gun on him, pointing it against his chest. “It was a miracle no one was seriously injured,” he said.
Tigre refused to play the second half, and Sao Paulo was awarded the title. TheBrazilian club’s president, Juvenal Juvencio, dismissed the accusations. “They were going to lose by a big score,” Juvencio told the club’s website. “Ourbiggest victory is the fact that the Argentines ran away.”
What or what didn’t happen was not to the point to Blatter.
“Such an incident that has just happened is a warningfor organizers of the World Cup of what can happen,” said Blatter. “But security is not a matter of the sports organization but of the authorities be it the police or the army. We can provideguidelines but finally it is up to the authorities.”
FIFA has some very serious security issues to tackle in terms of the organization of the 2014 World Cup. One challenge: the World Cupwill require organizers to certify and train 30,000 security officers.
“FIFA has full confidence in the security arrangements developed,” it said in a statement issued after the events atMorumbi Stadium.
FIRST STADIUM INAUGURATED. The Arena Castelao in Fortaleza was officially inaugurated on Sunday, making it the first World Cupstadium to be stamped for readiness. Given how sensitive Brazil organizers are about the progress — or lack thereof — on stadium projects, the opening was treated as a big deal.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff unveiled a plaque marking the completion of the renovation on the stadium and kicked out the ceremonial first ball.
The 63,903-seat stadium — renovated at a cost of $250 million — is Brazil’s first 2014 World Cup stadium to be inaugurated. The stadium, which includes underground parking for 4,200 cars,will host six World Cup and three 2013 Confederations Cup matches. Fortaleza is the farthest northeast of the 12 World Cup venues.
Next to be inaugurated: the refurbished Minerao Stadiumin Belo Horizonte.
BRAZIL 2014 POSTERS: FORTALEZA. The Castelao Arena — filled with images of Fortaleza’s major landmarks — and its beaches — theregion is a major tourist destination — are the main features of the Fortaleza poster.
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need any more reasons to hold the WC in the US? Security is never a problem…best security in the world, best facilities in the world, huge media market, tons of money, hasn’t been here in since the 1994 and bids are coming up for 2026 tournament.
I like your style Victor……….but another avenue is to select one proven “safe” host country on each continent(minus Antartica), and just move it around in succession to those nations. Screw the rest!