That is why it is stunning news to learn that this city of 11million people (20million counting the entire metropolis) may be left out of the World Cup.
Brazil is hosting the tournament in 2014 and while several Brazilian cities will play host to games, Sao Paulo may not. On Wednesday it was reported that Brazil’s committee has left Sao Paulo off its itinerary of cities. None of the city’s stadiums either meet FIFA qualifications or lack financial backing. Palmeires is renovating its stadium Palestra Italia and it will be ready by 2010, but with seating at 45,000 it still falls 15,000 seats short from the FIFA minimal requirement. Then there is the Pacaembu stadium, but FIFA has already stated that it is inadequate. The only stadium ever deemed viable is the Morumbi Stadium home toSao Paulo FC, but due to lack of financial support to renovate it for the games not even the best of Sao Paulo’s stadiums qualifies. Thus, by virtue of lacking a proper venue, the economic heart of Brazil will fail to host a game.
All is not lost for the people of Sao Paulo. The president of the Brazilian Confederation of Football (CBF) has stated that it is “unimaginable” that Sao Paulo will not host a game and FIFA along with the CBF have stated that they are still open to discussions.
If Sao Paulo is able to organize itself, it may just secure a few games for the World Cup. There’s still time.
Organizers of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil say Sao Paulo will remain a host city even though Morumbi Stadium has been dropped because of financial issues.
Organizers and FIFA say they will work with South America’s biggest city to find an alternative even though the deadline for stadium projects has passed.
The president of the Brazilian soccer confederation says it’s “inadmissible to have a World Cup in Brazil without the presence ofSao Paulo.”
Ricardo Teixeira told Globo TV he had “absolute certainty that the city and its authorities will put Sao Paulo back in” organizers’ plans.
Read more: http://marcovilla.instablogs.com/entry/redux-a-brazilian-world-cup-wo-sao-paulo/#ixzz0ryJakDGe
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