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TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014 SPORTS Greener grass: A World Cup legacy for Brazil? SAO PAULO: At Arsenal’s Highbury and say, ‘Come on, let’s invest a little bit age, less than 1 percent of the total including Wembley, the Emirates this part, for that part,” Gremio opera- Stadium, Edu played on one of football’s more in the pitch,’” he said. “We have fan- investment needed for building or reno- Stadium that Arsenal moved to in 2006 tions director Romulo Siqueira said, finest pitches. Award-winning Arsenal tastic players here in Brazil but we need vating a football arena. However, the and other famed venues. It injects plastic pointing at the stadium ends. groundsman Paul Burgess became so fantastic pitches as well.” impact is huge, as the pitch is the most fibers into natural grass pitches to rein- At least Gremio has a pitch. The World well-known for his green fingers that he Sub-standard pitches aren’t new to important thing for the players.” force them. Three Brazilian clubs have Cup arena in Curitiba was more alarm- was eventually lured away by Real Brazil. Although the warm climate is Brazilians say having to adapt to adopted the system - Gremio, Santos ing: not a blade of grass to be seen, Madrid. plant friendly, pitches have suffered irregular playing surfaces is one reason and Corinthians, at its new Sao Paulo earth and gravel piled high, six months So when Edu returned home to Brazil from over-use and insufficient love and they’re often such wizards with a ball. arena hosting the World Cup opener before four matches will be played there in 2009 to finish his career, the worn and attention. Record World Cup goal-scorer “That is why the Brazilian player is like an and five other matches. in June. sorry state of some Brazilian football Ronaldo told the AP that his first club, artist,” Rubens Minelli, a national champi- “Brazilian pitches, as they are right De Cocker expressed concern that fields was an eye-opener. Even now, as Sao Cristovao in Rio de Janeiro, used onship-winning former coach, said in an now in the stadiums, are not really to be World Cup pitches might not fare well the World Cup host rushes to ready itself, goats to trim its grass. interview. He recalled being amazed by compared with, let’s say, the average lev- under the stress of multiple games in one Edu says pitches in Brazil aren’t on a par “The pitch wasn’t the best, as you can Newcastle’s pitch - “Very fast,” he noted - el or the general level that is accepted in month. At the smaller Confederations with those in Europe, where he played imagine, although the goats worked when he took Internacional to play there Europe,” De Cocker said in a telephone Cup tune-up competition last June, for eight years, at Arsenal and Valencia. really hard,” the 2002 World Cup winner in the 1970s. interview. He said Brazilian officials “seri- “almost every pitch gave serious prob- “England, Germany, fantastic (pitch- said by email. “The club didn’t have Juninho was likewise impressed ously underestimated” the difficulty of lems,” he said. es). Spain, they’re good as well,” the for- much money so the goats were the when he moved to Middlesbrough in maintaining pitches in modern stadiums “I don’t believe that climate has a lot mer midfielder told The Associated cheapest ‘groundsmen’ you could find.” 1995. with overhanging roofs that cast long to do with them struggling to produce Press. “If you see around the world, they The three-time world player of the “Unbelievable,” he said in an inter- shadows, creating “very bad growing good pitches,” he said. “It is a learning are at another level than Brazil.” year said he and 1994 World Cup winner view. In Brazil, “you couldn’t find real nice conditions.” For its new arena in the curve. The only problem is that every- Now retraining in football manage- Bebeto, both members of Brazil’s com- pitches, not as good as England.” “I southern city of Porto Alegre, which will body, I think, I guess, would expect ment and working at Corinthians, Edu mittee organizing the tournament, “have played in Wembley twice and the grass be a World Cup training venue, Gremio (Brazil) to be already further down that says he bends the ears of all and sundry talked a lot to the stadium owners about was fantastic,” he added. imported giant lighting rigs on wheels learning curve than they are now.” in Brazil about the need for better play- the importance of offering high-stan- Yves De Cocker, director of pitch- from the Netherlands to breathe life into Ronaldo agreed that “most of our ing surfaces. He hopes the World Cup dard pitches.” installation company Desso GrassMaster, its pitch that was pock-marked with bare pitches cannot be compared to the will drive home his message. “We want it to be one of the football says Brazil has been sluggish in adopting patches when the AP visited in European ones yet.” “But this is changing “I’ve always been trying to talk to legacies of the FIFA World Cup,” Ronaldo the latest techniques. Desso has worked December. and I am confident we’ll get there,” he everybody, to officials and to the press, said. “The pitch-cost represents, on aver- on dozens of pitches around the world, “Half of the year we have no sun for said. —AP Preview Champagne launches his bid for FIFA presidency LONDON: Former FIFA deputy general secre- democratisation of FIFA” by reinforcing the role tance to be made available to match officials. tary Jerome Champagne yesterday launched of national associations within the organisa- His other ideas include an ‘orange card’ that his bid to succeed Sepp Blatter as president of tion’s executive committee and working more allows referees to send players to a temporary the organisation that runs the global game. closely with leagues and clubs. sin bin, quotas on foreign players, and televised The 55-year-old Frenchman, who worked He also gave his support for an ongoing debates between FIFA presidential candidates. closely with Blatter between 2002 and 2005, investigation into the process that saw the A former diplomat, Champagne worked on announced his campaign to become football’s right to host the 2022 World Cup awarded to France’s successful bid for the right to host the most powerful man at a press conference in Qatar, amid ongoing uncertainty regarding 1998 World Cup before joining FIFA as an inter- central London. when during the year the tournament will take national advisor. Champagne said he was eager to restore FIFA’s reputation after accusations of corruption in recent years, acknowledging that the organi- sation had “an image deficit problem”. Addressing reporters in front of the slogan ‘Hope for football,’ he said: “We need a different FIFA: more democratic, more respected, which Edin Dzeko behaves better and which does more.” Blatter, 77, is approaching the end of his fourth term in office and is yet to announce Dzeko puts prizes whether or not he will stand again in next year’s election in Zurich. Current UEFA president Michel Platini said ahead of plaudits late last year that he will announce whether or not he will stand for the post either during or LONDON: Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko The key is just to try to win every next after the World Cup in Brazil, which starts on insists his side’s remarkable goal-spree will game. “I am very happy that I am the one who June 12. count for nothing if they finish the season with- scored the 100th goal. “I am enjoying it at the In a video message, Brazil legend Pele out any silverware. moment. The team is playing amazing football. announced his support for Champagne’s candi- Dzeko scored City’s landmark 100th goal of “We are scoring a lot of goals. We just have dacy. “I know his vision of football and the the season as Manuel Pellegrini’s team took to keep going like this.” City’s blistering first leg future of the game and for this reason, I trust their tally for the current campaign to an display means Pellegrini can rest several of his him,” said the three-time World Cup-winner. incredible 103 with a 4-2 win over Cardiff at key players if he wishes. Champagne, however, would not confirm Eastlands on Saturday. The result kept second But, given City’s impressive strength in whether or not he will stand against Blatter if placed City within a point of leaders Arsenal at depth, the Chilean is certain to be able to send the Swiss decides to seek a fifth term. “I cannot LONDON: Jerome Champagne announces his intention to stand for FIFA president in the top of the Premier League, one of four com- out a strong line-up regardless of who he answer a hypothetical question, but I’m here 2015. But Champagne hinted that he might abandon his challenge if Sepp Blatter because I believe in what I’m saying and I plan petitions they remain in contention to win this leaves out. stands for a fifth term. —AP season. In contrast to City’s buoyant mood, Sam to do what I’m saying,” he said. With their title challenge firmly on course, Allardyce’s Hammers head into the second leg Asked if he thought that he could beat City can turn their attention to the formality of at a low ebb after Saturday’s 3-1 loss against Blatter, Champagne said: “I don’t think so.

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