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Brazil

2014 a Sport Odyssay

April 15th, 2006 | By: Euler Costa | 16 Comments »

The Swiss I must confess that I was shocked when I read on the newspaper Sepp Blatter’s opinion about Brazil chances to host a World Cup. I was angry and sad at the same time. Angry because we have a great history in the competition, we have many magic players and our religion is football. I was sad because Sepp is probably right.

I was shocked because my heart was waiting to hear good news about our stadiums. The main temple, Maracanã (Rio), has been under reforms and I know some new stadiums have been built recently in other states. I really was hoping for something like “Stadiums must be reformed, but you can do it”. It took me some time before I get to the conclusion that I’ll never be the host for the Copa do Mundo. I felt very powerless in comparison to the power of money that I almost BEEEEEP (self censorship). Chile’s response was very cool about it.

I was so glad that we would samba for the world, host such a huge party to the world, but the Swiss hit my face with an opened heavy hand and the pain is still deep. Still stings. But we must face a cold reality when it comes to Brazilian football administration. What administration? I am talking about a country with more than 100 million football fans that could easily convert fanatic worship into money, but they rather put it all into their pockets. Flamengo is the team with most supporters in the country, but they can’t pay the players salary. Nike and Petrobras are their main sponsors. Now how can you explain the fact that our stadiums are poorly prepared for international events? We provided the world with players like Pele, Garrincha, Rivelino, Romario, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho! How can we have clubs without any structure worthy of the World Cup?

Infrastructure is another issue. Should Brazil build an 8-year plan to improve transportation and stadiums for the 2014 World Cup event or for it’s people? Option A, work on a fast plan to get funding by private corporations, so they can profit from the event and please Brazilians thus improving their image or, option B, forget the World Cup and start doing the reforms long needed by our people just for the improvement of our life quality, no matter how long would it take?

I would love to see Adidas, Avaya, Budweiser, Coca Cola, Continental, Deutsche Telekom, Emirates, Fujifilm, Gillette, Hyundai, MasterCard, McDonald’s, Philips, Toshiba and Yahoo gathering money for our reforms. Then they would advertise for free during our games. Maybe our president Lula should study this idea, since he also would like to see the Seleção playing here. I can be crazy talking about financial issues, since I hate math and numbers, but one thing I know is that marketing values are huge these days. We could sell advertising space in our players’ foreheads! So the question remains: should we get reforms to the World Cup or should we get the World Cup to start reforms? We have very little time to start something, since the 2014 host will be selected in 2008, so let’s make some noise, my fellow Brazilians.

The rest of the world can keep fingers crossed, since you all will be sleeping in my apartment for free, visiting our beaches, drinking caipirinhas and waving green and yellow flags.

Tags: Group F, World Cup 2006

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Comments

By Trent | April 15th, 2006 at 10:30 pm

Nice post, Euler. I gotta think Brasil will be the 2014 hosts, but I understand your frustrations.

Also, I hope you have a big couch!

Posted from United States

By Introuble | April 15th, 2006 at 10:50 pm

Yeah man, i got sad too when i read that post… what about the infrastructure we have in sao paulo, rio, rio grande do sul, parana? what about our big and wonderful stadiums like Maracanã(RJ), Morumbi(SP), Arena da Baixada(PR), Castelão(CE)? what about the people’s happiness and the amount of tourists this event would bring to brazil? and as you said, what about the money a world cup would bring to brazil, because of the amount of sponsors? yeah man, brazil deserves to host this event. no, “deserve” is not the right word. Brazil MUST host this event as soon as possible.

Posted from Brazil

By Ahmad | April 16th, 2006 at 3:29 am

I believe that Blatter sent more of a warning to Brazil than a fact. Maybe FIFA wants from Brazil a super world cup and a super world cup is not only about stadiums but also about infrastructure, accomodation, security. So they wanted Brazil to worry so that they make better preparations. And do you guys really think Argentina and Chile are more capable than Brazil and didnt FIFA announce that it doesnt want any co-hosting anymore.
I believe that FIFA , the whole world and Blatter himself wouldnt want to see the world cup somewhere else than Brazil because we all want a world cup that rocks in the beats of samba and of the enthusiastic people.

Posted from Lebanon

By smi | April 16th, 2006 at 5:04 am

“I was sad because Sepp is probably right.”

-cries-

Posted from United Kingdom

By Luis Paulo | April 16th, 2006 at 8:59 am

Euler, I don’t believe that the problems are really on our stadiuns. They are not the best but they have being handling the games for so long. Maracanã is being reformed as you said and the same can be done in Minerão e Morumbi. To me, the problem is all the infrastrutured behind the tournment. How is going to be to buy the tickets? Did you see how it was to buy a simple ticket for the U2 show?

I have here in my house all the tickets from the FIFA CLUB WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP played in Rio. To get it was one of the biggest nightmares in my life. Now imagine how is going to be in a Brazil’s game or at the final.

What about the violence. Some king of agreement will have to be done with the drug deallers. That’s outrageous.

They will be too some very low attendance in some games once Brazilian people won’t be buying tickets for Tunisia x Saudi Arabia, Korea x Togo or Iran x Angola. Will the tourist be enough to fill the stadium?

After all this, the stadium’s conditions are, for me, the least of our problems.

By Euler | April 16th, 2006 at 9:15 am

The violence issue does not trouble me, to be honest. I live here in Rio and, despite what people say, it’s hard for me and my friends to see real violence. The bad things you read in the papers mostly happen in very poor areas.

About the tickets issue I don’t know much about. Of course getting tickets to a U2 concert may be difficult, but a World Cup is an entirely different matter. Probably Fifa would take care of that.

Low attendace? Maybe, but did you read Bob’s post about only one third of the tickets going to common buyers? I think all the sheiks from Saudi Arabia would like to come and watch the games, he he he.

By Euler | April 16th, 2006 at 12:37 pm

Ahmad, I want to think like you, but I’m not sure. I wish you are right, but at the same time I know how slow things work here. It may be a warning sign, but it can also be the end of our dream.

By Luis Paulo | April 16th, 2006 at 3:29 pm

Euler, I do live in Rio too. I’m not affraid to live here but when it cames to big events I get a little scared. Anyway, the World Cup wouldn’t be played only in Rio.

By Tomislav Chagall | April 16th, 2006 at 5:45 pm

i’ll see you in rio in 2014!

Posted from Germany

By Belgium and Holland for 2018 World Cup - FIFA World Cup 2006 - World Cup 2006 Blog | April 19th, 2006 at 3:28 pm

[...] 2014 Brazil – The front runner if they can improve their stadiums. Argentina/Chile – The fallback choices if Brazil doesn’t happen. [...]

Posted from United States

By Gus Brunson | June 15th, 2006 at 9:00 pm

Wait a minute!!!! Brazilian stadiums inferior to what???
I have been to both The Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena an Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, and trust me, the Rose Bowl is technically inferior to the Maracana Stadium.
And yet it was good enough to have a World Cup final (1994) played on it. And then Mr. Blatter propose to take the cup to where?
Chile & Argentina!!!
That’s right!!! Those are REALY
1st CLASS stadiums!!!
The Pacaembu Stadium in Sao Paulo is not up to the standards of FIFA, but the Monumental Stadium
in Buenos Aires is!!!
You must be joking!!!
What’s wrong with you guys??? Can’t yousee the absurdity on Blatter’s comments!!!

However I believe the refusal to take the cup to Brasil is a scheme to take the Cup once more to Mexico. Don’t forget that, the second man in charge of FIFA (Guillermo Canedo) is also one of the top executives of the largest Mexican TV networks(Televisa)?????

Posted from United States

By Diego | September 27th, 2006 at 8:17 pm

Pshhhhhh yea right have you guys read newspapers.. there basically giving all the thumbs up for argentina!! cya all in buenos aires 2014!! hoping to visit my hometown almafuerte in cordoba!!

Posted from Canada

By Diego | September 27th, 2006 at 8:18 pm

keep on talking sepp!! brazil has enough with there 5 cups!!

Posted from Canada

By Marina | June 11th, 2007 at 8:47 pm

If South Africa can held the World Cup in 2010 so can Brazil in 2014. Of course Brazil’s gotta a long journey and they have to prove they worth it. We may have a lot of problems like violence, poverty, lack of infrastructure, etc but nothing is impossible. Soccer is our religion, our blood, our national passion. Brazilians play soccer for love and noone in the world play it like we do. Brazil hasn’t held a World Cup since 1950 so now it’s the time and I do believe Brazil will do everything they can to held this Cup. We want this Cup more than anything, more than anyone. It’ll be a national party, the best World Cup everyone has ever seen. It’ll be the Cup of Brazil. So brazilians and everyone else in the world who love the Brazilian soccer, fingers crossed!

Marina, a brazilian new zealander girl:)

Posted from New Zealand

By Roberto Ondo | August 6th, 2007 at 9:50 pm

Ei, Euler, legal, mas Odyssay nao existe. E’ Odyssey. Passa um “spell check” da proxima vez.

By Bruno | November 8th, 2007 at 2:54 pm

I would love to see a brazil game on maracanã, it would be my dream coming true.

If you see all the things behind a World Cup, like the amount of police and army guarding the streets for this kind of event, the geografy of Rio de Janeiro doesn’t help when the subject is safety and I realy don’t feel more safe with more men carring guns, but I believe the organized crime will keep a low profile during the cup.

We don’t have terrorism here and suddenly every one will have to be prepared to face this kind of trouble against forengers delegations and the population in general.

There isn’t no way to drive during a game, it’ll be the hell. About the tickets, I think the best way to solve this is selling it at internet.

POSITIVE SIDES -> Icrease of investments in infra-structure.

I’m sorry about the english, never did a class and isn’t my main lenguage.

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