Following a few weeks of added hope but even more uncertainty in relation to Sao Paulo city´s role in the 2014 World Cup, the latest news sees mega-club Corinthians leading a new push for the city to host the opening ceremony.
Having chosen just the right time to launch a non-Cup project for a 48 thousand capacity stadium, Corinthians, which happens to feature President Lula´s as a supporter, has offered to expand the facility by 20 thousand to be eligible for the opening event, with the Brazilian Football Confederation and Sao Paulo government currently studying the idea.
The key issue is once again money, with Corinthians having only committed to a UEFA-standard stadium costing $330 million, to be built and partly financed by construction giant Odebrecht. To host the Cup, even just pool matches, the plans will have to be modified to meet certain FIFA requirements, while for the opening ceremony the additional seating has to be incorporated. Corinthians has stated that, while it is happy to accommodate the changes, the extra funding, at least a few hundred million, would have to come from government or other, independent sources.
The new stadium will be in Itaquera in the eastern zone of São Paulo, on land donated to the club in the 80s.