Romario: FIFA must be put in its place
Reuters - Monday 10 October 2011, 21:23
FIFA must not be allowed
to ride roughshod over Brazilian law when it stages the 2014
World Cup, former Brazil striker Romario, now a federal
Congressman, said on Monday.
Romario told reporters that Brazilian laws which guarantee
half-price entry to football matches for the elderly and ban on
alcohol in stadiums should not be swept away for FIFA's benefit.
"If FIFA is not put in its rightful place, FIFA will soon
have more power than our president and the World Cup will be the
way FIFA wants it and not the way we should do it," Romario told
reporters.
"They have to respect the laws for old age pensioners,
supporters and students. FIFA has to understand that things have
changed.
"According to FIFA's calculations, they would lose 180
million real ($101 million) with the half-price entry.
"We don't have to pay this. FIFA could earn a little bit
less so that the Brazilians can take part."
World Cup host nations must agree a series of conditions
imposed by FIFA before staging the event.
These cover, among others, ticket sales and pricing,
protection of trademarks and a ban on vendors not licensed by
FIFA in and around stadiums.
FIFA argues that profits are reinvested in football.
The Brazilian Congress is currently debating a so-called
World Cup law which needs to be passed for FIFA's conditions to
come into effect.
Romario added that the urban transport remained one of the
biggest worries for the staging of the World Cup.
"Urban transport is the biggest problem," he said. "There
are a lot of paralised projects.
"There are problems in all venue cities," he added. "Brazil
is certainly not going to stage the best World Cup in history as
some have said.
"It's not going to be the World Cup for the Brazilian
people."
Romario, 45, led the attack when Brazil won the World Cup in
1994 and was one of the country's most prolific goal-scorers
during a career which took him to Netherlands, Spain, Qatar,
United States and Australia.
He claimed to have scored more than 1,000 goals during his
career although that total includes goals scored in youth,
friendly and testimonial games.