Blatter "satisfied" with Brazil's 2014 World Cup progress

Oct 7, 2011, 8:38 GMT

Zurich - Brazil is on course in its preparations to stage the 2014 World Cup despite 'considerable challenges,' FIFA president Joseph Blatter told dpa Friday.

'We are still satisfied,' Blatter said in Zurich

Football's ruling body had reportedly been concerned about the slow pace of Brazil's preparations, including the building and renovating of stadiums and work on improving infrastructure.

But Blatter said: 'Even with the (2006) World Cup in Germany and also (2010) in South Africa it was always being said that this or that stadium would not be ready on time.

'In the end everything worked out, and I am convinced that this will also be the case in Brazil.'

The World Cup will be played in 12 cities across Brazil, which also hosted the 1950 tournament, and comes two years before the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

The Maracana stadium in Rio, currently undergoing a 485-million-dollar (360-million-euro) reconstruction, is scheduled to hold the final.

The Itaquerao Arena, which is being built in Sao Paulo, is pencilled in for the opening game, but an official decision is not expected until the end of the month.

The capital Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Cuiaba, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Manaus, Natal, Porto Alegre, Recife and Salvador de Bahia are the other city venues.

Blatter said he was also not concerned that Brazil might not have enough stadiums ready for the 2013 Confederations Cup, regarded as the World Cup dress rehearsal.

Four or five venues would not normally be used for the tournament.

'If necessary we could hold the Confederations Cup in two stadiums although that is certainly not the aim,' Blatter said.

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