UK/FILE: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: FIFA Marketing Director Thierry Weil regrets the cancellation of Soccerex conference after the Rio State Government withdrew support but he guarantees the decision will not affect the 2014 World Cup

Record ID: 255507

  • Title: UK/FILE: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: FIFA Marketing Director Thierry Weil regrets the cancellation of Soccerex conference after the Rio State Government withdrew support but he guarantees the decision will not affect the 2014 World Cup
  • Date: 6th November 2013
  • Summary: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (FILE - JUNE 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PROTESTS NEAR THE MARACANA STADIUM DURING THE CONFEDERATIONS CUP
  • Embargoed: 21st November 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Brazil, United Kingdom
  • City:
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAD1COUAH2L59II63XSSE9FSV28
  • Story Text: FIFA's Marketing Director Thierry Weil said on Tuesday (November 5) that the cancellation of the annual Soccerex Global Convention in Rio de Janeiro was a "surprise" but reassured it will have no impact in the preparations for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
    "We have been surprised as mostly all of us and definitely the people who do organise Soccerex have been surprised on this change of plans to be honest but I would not compare Soccerex to the FIFA World Cup to be honest and therefore we do not believe that this will have any influence in any way or form in regards to the organisation of the FIFA World Cup," Weil told reporters at a FIFA 2014 World Cup briefing in London.
    "It is a pity, it is a pity that that has been cancelled because I know and I have a lot of friends also which have been booked to attend Soccerex which have flights which are booked and so on and so forth.
    So, this is a lot of cancellations and so on and so forth and it is never good when you cancel such an event but that said I don't see and it will not touch anything actually in the World Cup."
    Millions of people took to the streets of Brazil in June to protest against a rise in bus fares and a lack of investment in public services.
    Some protesters armed with bricks and Molotov cocktails even tried to invade stadiums hosting Confederations Cup soccer matches as they complained about the 7.6 billion Brazilian reais ($3.33 billion) being spent on 12 World Cup venues.
    The protests have spluttered on in several cities and, and although much smaller than in June, they have become increasingly violent.
    Carlos Cardim, the Head of the Special Advisory Office on International Affairs at the Brazilian embassy in London, said the cancellation would not affect the World Cup.
    "The (Rio) government some supports (to Soccerex) but (is is) not official, governmental conference," Cardim said. "Brazil has very conferences (that are) official. This is more or less a private conference, it is not an official conference of the Brazilian government," he said The two sides involved in the dispute gave different reasons for why Soccerex was called off.
    The Rio State Government said the cancellation was related to finances, while Soccerex directors said official support was withdrawn because of the fear of civil unrest.
    The gathering of 4,500 delegates involved in soccer administration, marketing, sponsorship and the media, was due to be held from Nov. 30-Dec. 5 at the Maracana Stadium in Rio ahead of the draw for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
    The cancellation is a major embarrassment for the city that will host the World Cup final at the Maracana next July.
    The convention was expected to attract many of soccer's heavyweights travelling to Brazil for the Dec. 6 World Cup draw. including FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who was among those scheduled to speak.
    Brazil 2014 Local Organising Committee Operating Officer Ricardo Trade, who has spoken at previous editions of Soccerex, reminded the gathered journalists on Tuesday that the safety of fans during the Confederations Cup was not affected despite protests outside stadiums.
    "We have a lot of police force there (outside the stadiums) and they are integrated to give all the people that visit our country during the FCC (FIFA Confederations Cup) the guarantee that they will be safe there and that is the case," Trade said.
    "We had no problems at all with any kind of people there during the Confederations Cup. It is a good example that these integrated actions was working well and then we work well because we will be prepared."
    Asked if FIFA would have taken a different decision if the civil unrest existed when the tournament was awarded to Brazil in 2007, FIFA's marketing chief Weil said: "The fact is that FIFA is in the home of football which is Brazil. The country loves football.
    "A research shows that more than 70 percent of Brazilians are supporting the FIFA World Cup so in our view is all right. The decision has been 100 percent correct and believe those guys who will have tickets at the end of the day and will be part of the World Cup will have great memories afterwards and will enjoy the event," Weil added.
    Soccerex said in a statement: "It is with great disappointment that we must confirm that the final Soccerex Global Convention in Brazil will now not be taking place.
    "With the ongoing civil unrest, the Rio de Janeiro State Secretary of Sport took the political decision to withdraw their support from the Soccerex Global Convention."
    However, while Soccerex CEO Duncan Revie said Brazilian officials cancelled the conference "because of the civil unrest in the country," two sources told Reuters money was an issue.
    Marcelo Damato, a columnist with sports newspaper Lance!, said the Rio government, who owned and ran the Maracana until it was renovated earlier this year, told Soccerex they could hold the conference at the stadium for free.
    But the consortium now running the arena wanted to charge Soccerex six million reais.
    Another source familiar with the negotiations, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed this was the case and a Rio state government statement also indicated money was the problem.
    "The government negotiated all this without consulting the stadium management," said the source.
    The Rio government confirmed the Soccerex event would not go ahead but denied the reason was civil unrest.
    In a statement, the Rio government said: "The state guarantees the security of multiple events, including New Year's Eve (celebrations) on Copacabana beach, carnival, and the World Cup," it said in a statement read out by FIFA's head of media Delia Fischer at a media conference in London promoting Brazil at a global travel trade fair.
    "The government of Rio de Janeiro encouraged the organisers to seek cultural and sports incentives and they failed to do so. Soccerex were advised to seek funding to host the event so that the state would not have to use public money."
    The Maracana stadium's owners said they had not been officially informed of the decision and declined to comment.
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