MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
FIFA tells Brazil beer must be sold at the 2014 World Cup matches
FIFA General Secretary, Jerome Valcke currently visiting Brazil Beer must be sold at all venues hosting matches in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, football's world governing body, Fifa, has insisted. Fifa General Secretary, Jerome Valcke, said the right to sell beer must be enshrined in a World Cup law the Brazilian Congress is considering.
Alcoholic drinks are currently banned at Brazilian stadiums and the country's health minister has urged Congress to maintain the ban in the new law.
Brewer Budweiser is a big Fifa sponsor.
Mr Valcke is visiting Brazil to press for progress on the much-delayed World Cup law.
Fifa has become frustrated, because voting on the legislation has been held up in Congress by the dispute over alcohol sales.
The Brazilian government has also failed to resolve differences with Fifa over cut-price tickets for students and senior citizens, and demands for sponsors of the World Cup to have their trademarks protected.
In remarks to journalists in Rio de Janeiro, Mr Valcke sounded frustrated with Brazilian officials: “Alcoholic drinks are part of the Fifa World Cup, so we're going to have them. Excuse me if I sound a bit arrogant but that's something we won't negotiate,” he said.
“The fact that we have the right to sell beer has to be a part of the law.”
Alcohol was banned at Brazilian football matches in 2003 in an attempt to tackle violence between rival football fans.
Health Minister Alexandre Padilha and other MPs have called for the ban to be maintained.
Mr Valcke said negotiations with Brazil over details of the World Cup had been slow.
“We lost a lot of time and we were not able to discuss with people in charge that are willing to make a decision,” he said, adding that it was the first time a country was still in talks five years after winning the right to host the tournament.
During his visit to Brazil Mr Valcke has been touring the stadiums in 12 cities where the 2014 World Cup will be played.
He criticised the pace of construction and said Brazil had not yet improved its infrastructure to the level needed to welcome visit.
Top Comments
Disclaimer & comment rules-
-
-
Read all commentsWell nothing agianst Brazil as no doubt if they can come to an agreement with FIFA, the world cup in brazil would be a great spectacle to watch. But in the event they can not agree and/or the infastruce is not going to be in place or completed to a degree where it can cope with the influx of traveling fans. Then the obivious alternative would be England, since we were robbed of the 2018 world cup and considering we have the infastructure already in place and the finest and most famous stadiums in the world, that are more than capable of hosting world cup matches and of course the final itself. Hell we could even have the 3rd place match played at the olympic stadium.
Jan 19th, 2012 - 12:09 pm 0I hope that Brazil tells FIFA to get lost and I wish the UK would do the same to the IOC. Both organisations stride around the world like supranational despots demanding tribute at every turn.
Jan 19th, 2012 - 12:56 pm 0The money spent is astronomical and rising - somebody sometime is going to have to say enough is enough.
Is it because the UK don't allow beer in stadia that they can't get the world cup.It certainly rules out Islamic states,doesn't it
Jan 19th, 2012 - 01:44 pm 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!