A groundswell of dissatisfaction with the current state of Brazil’s 2014 World Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC) continues to form following a second set of negative comments in as many weeks from another Federal Deputy. In a report approved unanimously by the Chamber of Deputies’ Financial Regulation and Control Commission, Paulo Rattes, member of the Chamber’s World Cup 2014 sub-commission, has complained about the ‘inexistence’ of planning, strategic actions and cost provisions.
He stated that “nothing, nothing exists” and explained that his report is so critical simply because that is the reality of the situation, plus the fact that there is a dangerous precedent for the current lack of preparation: the Pan-American Games of 2007, which suffered from a significant blow out in spending because a number of urgent, last-minute works were required.
Rattes suggested the creation of a new organising commission incorporating the most number of relevant stakeholders possible, as opposed to the present situation in which the Brazilian Football Federation, headed by Ricardo Teixeira, doesn’t bother to appear at commission hearings or even respond to invites. He said the organisation of the Cup is a ‘black box’ that no one except Teixeira and ‘his mates’ can enter.
Even FIFA was not spared, with Rattes remarking that while they consider some of their requirements as absurd they don’t even have the opportunity to voice concerns or discuss the situation in an open forum.