Brazil set to wow and win

Brazil set to wow and win

CUP IN SAFE HANDS

Brazil's victory over Spain in the Confederations Cup Final in June thrilled the 80,000 crowd at the Maracana Stadium, and nearly 200 million of their countrymen around the country.

All through the tournament, though, more than a million Brazilians took to the streets nationwide to demonstrate over the lack of spending in public services.

In the build-up to the final, an estimated 1.5 million Brazilians went on the march, protesting over how much money was being spent to organise next year's World Cup Finals and the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016, at the expense of education, transport and health services.

Brazil's Ambassador to Singapore, Luis Fernando de Andrade Serra, however, gave the assurance that the 2014 World Cup Finals is in safe hands.

Speaking to The New Paper last week, Serra explained that Brazilians are demanding better health services, transportation, education and less corruption.

"I think some of those issues are being solved and people are now giving credit to the government," he said. "Of course, the government needs time to improve these services.

"I don't believe that the events on the streets will be replicated during the World Cup.

"We are a peaceful country.

"I think Brazilians will stay at home (to watch the World Cup) or they will watch the matches in the stadia peacefully."

According to Serra, preparations across the 12 host cities for the World Cup are on track.

"Fifa was worried before the Confederations Cup, thinking that no stadium would be ready," said the ambassador, who was in Rio during the tournament.

"But the competition took place in six different stadia.

"Of course, there are six more stadia to be completed, but we are sure they will be ready for the World Cup.

"Jerome Valcke, secretary general of Fifa, even praised the progress of preparations recently. "At the beginning, he was the most critical authority. "The Confederations Cup was a test to see how the stadia work, and it was a success all around."

SCOLARI'S THE MAN

Six months before the Confederations Cup, Brazilian football was suffering. Brazilians realised former coach Mano Menezes could not build a winning team, according to Serra.

Menezes was fired and the country turned to Luiz Felipe Scolari - the man who led the Selecao to a record fifth World Cup title in 2002.

Scolari, 64, won just two of his first seven friendly matches, but the Confederations Cup win on home soil, including a 3-0 win over world and European champions Spain in the final, suggested Brazil had got back their swagger.

"You must consider that in Brazil there are 200 million coaches," said Serra, a lifelong Botafogo fan.

"Every Brazilian has a dream team in his mind. Scolari is someone who may not emphasise 'Joga Bonito' - the beautiful game - but he knows how to win.

"There are three important things for a national coach: to select the best players, to give the right positions to his squad and to motivate the players. Scolari does these three things.

"The players are very close to him, so close that the team are referred to as Scolari's family. That was the part missing during Menezes' time."

TOURISTS DON'T FRET

A total of 309,554 tourists arrived in South Africa in June 2010 for the primary purpose of attending the World Cup. Even more are expected to descend on Brazil next year.

The 2014 Finals will be held from June 12 to July 13, and many Singaporeans are also expected to make the trip to witness the world's biggest sporting spectacle.

But the high crime rate in Rio de Janeiro, for instance, might put some off, but Serra insists security measures are in place all across Brazil to facilitate the large influx of tourists expected next year.

"Security has improved a lot over the last 10 years," he said.

"There is a new policy in Rio; now the police occupy the hills where the crime syndicates are operating. "Of course, you cannot compare with Singapore.

"But which city can? If you compare with many other big cities, the situation in Brazil is more or less the same." The ambassador revealed that infrastructure has been improved to allow for more accommodation options.

In Rio, cruise ships in the port will also provide living space for fans. "Rio and Sao Paulo are working hard to have more highways and flyovers as well," he said.

"The investment is really big, around US$500 billion (S$622 billion). "Brazil has experience in organising massive events. Every year there is the carnival in Rio, an event attended by 200,000 people.

"So we are not scared about hosting the World Cup.

"We think that we are going to surprise the world with a very attractive event."

aakasim@sph.com.sg


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