Brazil is creating “an environment of celebration” - Trade
30 Nov 2011
Brazil 2014 chief Ricardo Trade revealed the next steps in the country’s preparations to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup on day two of the Soccerex Global Convention 2011 in Rio de Janeiro.
Trade, executive director of operations at the local organising committee (LOC) for the tournament, said 2012 will be a pivotal year in delivering world football’s showcase and the 2013 Confederations Cup in what he described as “an environment of celebration”. “I have no doubt about it,” he said. “I’m saying this on behalf of Ricardo Teixeira (the head of the LOC) – we Brazilians are good at delivering major events. It’s a huge quality that we have…we have the means of delivering and this is what we have been doing (in the lead up to 2014). Together with local governments, host cities and FIFA we are going to deliver an excellent Confederations Cup and a marvellous World Cup in an environment of celebration. People are going to come here and say ‘I’m in the country of football and I’m going to bring my family (to Brazil) in the future’.”
Trade said the date and location of the draws for the Confederations Cup and World Cup will be announced in the first quarter of 2012, followed by the launch of the World Cup slogan and mascot after the 2012 London Olympics, before tickets go on sale for the Confederation’s Cup at the end of 2012. It is understood the sales process for the World Cup, which will see an estimated 3.3 million tickets made available, will begin at the end of August 2013.
“You will be looking at these pictures (of building work at 2014 stadia) and be asking ‘will this be ready on time?’ and the answer is yes it will,” Trade added. “Usually there’s a lot of negative press given to host countries – people saying ‘you’re late’ but everything is OK and everything will be ready for 2013 and 2014.”
