FIFA urges Brazil to pass World Cup bill

BRASILIA,  (Reuters) – Brazil had been demanding  too much in negotiating the conditions for hosting the 2014  World Cup but a legal dispute should be settled within days,  FIFA said yesterday.

“Maybe because you have already won the World Cup five times  you think you can ask and ask and ask,” FIFA general secretary  Jerome Valcke told reporters after meeting with Brazil’s new  Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo.

Valcke said he hoped to resolve final differences over  discounted tickets at a meeting in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday.

Brazil has resisted changing its laws banning alcohol in  stadiums and providing discounted tickets for people over 65 and  FIFA has become frustrated because the World Cup bill which sets  the rules for the event has been held up for months in Congress.

Soccer’s world ruling body says Brazil’s rules would raise  the cost of the event and restrict its ability to protect  sponsors ‘ trademarks and brands but Valcke said it was  time to end the negotiations.

“The World Cup is not just a law, the World Cup is 12  cities, 12 stadiums, 12 airports. Let’s move on,” he said.

The dispute has added to worries about Brazil’s ability to  organise the global sports event, compounded by delays in  building a dozen stadiums and corruption allegations against the  head of its soccer confederation, Ricardo Teixeira.

Teixeira was absent from Valcke’s side in  Brasilia, raising speculation that he has been sidelined after  former Brazil striker Ronaldo joined the tournament’s organising  committee.

But Valcke said Teixeira would chair Thursday’s organising  committee meeting in Rio, which could also involve former  Brazilian striker Romario who is now a Congressman and outspoken  critic of FIFA’s requests.

“I am optimistic,” said Ronaldo. “We will show that we are  not only good players but also good organisers and we will hold  the best World Cup of all time,” said the 35-year-old former  World Cup winner.

Ronaldo said the organising committee was looking for a  third member to join him and Teixeira on its management board.

Rebelo said the law on the hosting of the World Cup should  be passed by Congress at the beginning of March.

FIFA 2014 World Cup sponsors include Adidas,  Coca-Cola, Sony, Anheuser-Busch InBev’s  Budweiser unit and McDonald’s and Visa.

Valcke said he would return to Brazil every two months to  visit each of the 12 cities in which World Cup matches will be  played “to make sure work is going on.”

Last Thursday, the Brazilian government released a report  that said seven of the 12 stadiums being built would be ready by  the end of 2012, in time for the Confederations Cup, a dress  rehearsal for the World Cup to be held in 2013.

Renovation of Rio’s Maracana stadium, where the World Cup  final will be played, is not due to be completed until February  2013, the report said. Sao Paulo stadium, which will host the  opening match in 2014, is only 20 percent completed and will not  be ready until December, 2013.