FLORIANOPOLIS, Brazil: FIFA handed a World Cup reprieve to the Brazilian city of Curitiba yesterday, barely one month after threatening to axe it from the event over construction work delays.
FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke said the decision to retain the city as a venue came after sharp progress on building at the 41,000-seater Arena da Baixada.
The venue, which is to host four first round matches including Spain’s clash with Australia on June 23, had previously missed a series of deadlines set by FIFA.
“Yes, Curitiba will remain as one of the 12 host cities,” Valcke told a news conference. “It is a race against a very tight timeline and will require regular monitoring.” Any axing of Curitiba would have dealt a humiliating blow to Brazil, where the multi-billion-dollar costs of staging the World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics are deeply unpopular.
Brazil’s preparations for the showpiece tournament have also been marred by a series of fatal accidents at three venues which left six construction workers dead.
A double fatality at Sao Paulo, which will stage the opening game, put that venue’s pre-event tests back until mid-April.
In addition, there have been three construction deaths at Manaus in the Amazon region and one at Brasilia. But the possibility that Curitiba could be scrapped has concentrated minds in Brazil and local authorities have now looked to bank loans totaling some $30m for the venue itself to complete the stadium.
Removing Curitiba would have opened a potential legal minefield of claims over cancelled flights and lost tourist revenue.
Valcke stressed organisers were in a partnership with FIFA involving “clear commitments” which in FIFA’s case totals $1.4 bn. Contractors have brought in hundreds of extra workers and the stadium is now set for a mid-May finish. REUTERS
