SPORTS SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 2014 FIFA pay for ignoring the danger signs

ZURICH: FIFA has struggled to hide its exasperation World Cup with barely a dissenting voice. Questions Public funds over Brazil’s stuttering preparations for this year’s about Brazil’s dilapidated infrastructure, social prob- Time has been particularly cruel to the inspection World Cup, yet soccer’s governing body can hardly lems, crime and violence were brushed aside with report on which FIFA based the decision to award say it has not been warned. The danger signs were all talk of Brazil’s proud record on the field. Brazil the tournament. “The Brazilian model for the there back in 2007 when struggled to In the six-and-a-half years since then, the World World Cup is to give priority to private finance in the host the Pan American Games, a relatively minor Cup has gone largely the same way at as the Pan- construction and remodeling of the stadiums event in global sporting terms. American games. FIFA has watched almost helplessly through long term concessions and eventually pub- Cost over-runs, a promised metro expansion that from the sidelines as Brazilian organizers have lic private partnerships (PPPs),” said FIFA’s inspection never materialized and constant delays and prob- missed deadlines, shattered their original budget team. “The objective is to build modern stadiums lems in the building of venues, many of which were and shelved infrastructure projects which would that will meet FIFA’s requirements while public funds completed at the last possible moment, should have have provided the tournament with a legacy. In one will be allocated towards basic infrastructure, partic- set the alarm bells ringing in Zurich. Yet, just three recent example, FIFA warned last May that all 12 ularly security, airports, roads and hospitals.” Instead, months later, Brazil, the only candidates under FIFA’s World Cup stadiums must be ready by the end of last public funds have been used to build the stadiums, short-lived system of rotating the tournament year and delays would not be tolerated. Five stadi- while much of the promised infrastructure has failed around the continents, were awarded the 2014 ums missed that deadline, yet FIFA did nothing. to materialize. — Reuters

Fergie named as UEFA ’s president resigns coaching ambassador amid transfer probe NYON: Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is set to take up a role with European football’s governing body as a BARCELONA: Barcelona president coaching ambassador, UEFA president Michel Platini said yester- resigned on Thursday in day. Ferguson, 72, had a record-breaking 26-and-a-half-year the aftermath of a Spanish court’s deci- tenure at Old Trafford before retiring at the end of last season sion to investigate last year’s signing of after winning his 13th league title with the club. “Sir Alex will be Brazil forward Neymar. “The success the chairman of the forum of elite coaches that meet every year. He club has had has also come along with will also be a member of the technical study group of the difficult moments for myself and my Champions League and the European Championship,” Platini family,” Rosell told a news conference said at an executive committee meeting in Nyon, Switzerland. “It after a board meeting held by the is an honor and a privilege to accept this role as ambassador for Spanish champions. UEFA,” said Ferguson. “There have been threats and accusa- tions which make you consider your Don’t blame Ferguson position including the claim of misap- for United’s problems propriation of funds and the court case. Meanwhile, former Manchester United captain Bryan Robson I’ve always stated that we acted correct- has labeled it a “pathetic excuse” to blame ex-boss Alex ly with the Neymar transfer.” Rosell told Ferguson’s presence at matches for the club’s current struggles. reporters on Thursday that senior vice- After ceding the managerial reins to David Moyes in the close president would season, Ferguson has taken up a role as a club director and is fre- replace him as Barca chief until his presi- quently pictured in the stands watching United. The sight of dency was due to end in two years’ time. Ferguson peering down from the directors’ box has divided opin- BARCELONA: Barcelona’s football club president Sandro Rosell (left) is hugged ion with some fans comparing Moyes’s situation with the one Judge Pablo Ruz on Wednesday by club vice president Josep Maria Bartomeu during a press conference to that faced Wilf McGuinness when he replaced Matt Busby in ordered the start of a hearing to investi- announce his resignation following an extraordinary board meeting at the 1969. “To see Sir Alex at matches shows that he’s got great sup- gate Barcelona for alleged misappropria- club offices in Barcelona. — AFP port for the club,” Robson, who spent 13 years at United, told Sky tion of funds over the signing of Brazil’s wrongdoing took place after legal action evidence. On the evidence already Sports. “For anybody trying to make an excuse and say ‘Sir Alex is 2014 World Cup hope Neymar, saying was pursued by disgruntled fan Jordi received, an order from the judge on in the stand watching me play. I’m going to wilt’ - well why didn’t Rosell could be called in person to give evi- Cases in a bid for clarity. Judge Pablo Ruz Wednesday read: “It leads to the conclu- you wilt when he was manager? “It’s just weak excuses that the dence. “This board is a team and this group will ask for more information from sion that the facts given by the com- media and some ex-players and managers have come out with. has led a project that has had a lot of suc- Neymar, Santos and Barca and a decision plainant are plausible in being a crime of It’s a pathetic excuse. cess,” Rosell told Thursday’s news confer- will be made at a later date over whether misappropriation as laid down in article “If Sir Alex wasn’t going to games and wasn’t giving David ence. “I don’t want attacks to affect the Rosell will be called in person to provide 252 of the penal code.”— Reuters Moyes support, it would show he doesn’t care, is selfish and is club and for that reason I have resigned getting on with his own life. Instead, it shows he does want to see permanently as president of FC Barcelona. the club do well.” United have had a torrid start to the season and “Josep Maria Bartomeu will take over the are seventh in the . They exited the FA Cup at the presidency with immediate effect until the Falcao doubtful for start of January and suffered a painful League Cup semi-final end of the mandate in 2016.” penalty shootout defeat to Sunderland on Wednesday. Ferguson’s presence at games has drawn unwanted comparisons WCup after injury Major coup with McGuinness’s ill-fated spell in charge of the club. Busby remained “upstairs” at United in the late 1960s in the Rosell won the presidency in 2010 PARIS: Radamel Falcao’s hopes of play- Falcao recover as quickly as possible,” same way that Ferguson has done today with both witnessing at with 35,021 votes, more than any other ing at the World Cup finals hung by a Monaco said in a brief statement. “We close quarters their successors’ early struggles in the job. Moyes is man in the club’s history, and Barca thread on Thursday after his Ligue 1 club only have five months, which is very little, not expected to suffer the same fate as McGuinness, who was have since won two titles and Monaco announced the Colombia striker but we’ll closely follow his evolution,” sacked in 1970 and replaced by his predecessor. The former the Champions League plus a host of required surgery on a left knee injury. Noronha told Colombian radio station Everton manager, who failed to any silverware in his 11 years at other trophies. Coming from a back- Monaco did not elaborate on the length Caracol. “Falcao is a very responsible ath- the Merseyside club, has frequently maintained that Ferguson, ground in sports marketing, Rosell has of Falcao’s absence, while media reports lete, we’re going to operate on him very who retired in May after 26 trophy-laden seasons at the club, is a valuable contacts in the football world suggested he could be out for six shortly and we hope he’ll be good but we valuable sounding board. but at the same time lost support months. The tournament in Brazil kicks can’t say if he’ll play the World Cup.” among fans for being unapproachable off on June 12, less than five months from The striker nicknamed ‘Tiger’, who Great history and aloof. It was the purchase of Neymar now. Colombian Football Federation was looking forward to his first World Ferguson said yesterday that United’s “great philosophy last June, which appeared to be a major sources said the 27-year-old, one the Cup finals, picked up the injury after scor- world’s top strikers, would undergo sur- ing his team’s first goal in a 3-0 win at and history” would mean they always do well and insisted he coup for Rosell after he fought off com- gery this weekend in Portugal by a team amateurs Chasselay Monts d’Or Azergues was enjoying life watching the team as a fan despite the indif- petition from other top clubs in Europe led by Jose Carlos Noronha, who was cau- in a last-32 French Cup game on ferent results since he retired. “I’ve been really enjoying it, it’s for the player’s signature, that has led to been great,” Ferguson told Sky Sports after being named as a tious about predicting Falcao’s World Wednesday. “I’m not going to hide that his downfall. The Brazilian was paraded coaching ambassador for European governing body UEFA. “I Cup chances. my sadness is huge, my heart is as a 57.1 million euros ($78.12 million) have the privilege of going to watch the team pretty much “Radamel Falcao suffered a lesion of destroyed, but I’m hanging on to a hope when I want. I’ve been to a few, not all of them, and I can look signing from Santos but the precise the cruciate ligament in his left knee. the size of a grain of mustard and that’s at it in a different way now. I have my supporters’ hat on and details of the contract were not revealed Surgery is necessary... the doctors will do enough to believe that my World Cup my supporters’ scarf.—Agencies due to a confidentiality agreement. A everything they can to help Radamel dream is still alive,” Falcao said.—Reuters hearing will now decide whether any