Worrying Signs as Brazil Prepares for World Cup

Article by David Naylor

Next summer will see Brazil hold the world's most prestigious sporting competition. Millions of football fans across the globe are looking forward to having their appetite for the beautiful game sated as the best players, most passionate fans and insightful journalists descend on South America.

Most onlookers were delighted to learn that our national teams would be returning to battle for the FIFA World Cup trophy in a country that boasts an illustrious footballing heritage. Brazil is a place that has nurtured some of the greatest players in the history of the game. The likes of Pele, Garrincha, Ronaldinho and Kaka have graced the once 200,000 capacity Maracana Stadium and South America's premier footballing country certainly offers a distinguished legacy.

Nevertheless, the 2014 World Cup may be overshadowed by more menial aspects of the competition. We have almost all of the ingredients needed for a memorable tournament- but not all. The stadiums aren't ready, local fans are exhibiting frightening behaviour and things looked like they could boil over under the gaze of a watching and judgemental world.

The stadium situation has proved to be a major conundrum for Brazilian organisers. It's been more than a simple set-back for others involved in the multi-million pound projects, though. The deaths of two workers after a crane collapsed at Sao Paulo's Arena Corinthians stadium a fortnight ago has rightfully caused a stir in the world's media with questions being levelled at the country's suitability to hold such a logistically-challenging event. A number of other workers were also injured and this tragedy raises a number of questions.

Building a stadium most probably isn't an easy task, and almost everything construction project will encounter problems, however surely those in charge of choosing and hiring contractors for such a vast and complicated project need to do more to guarantee the safety of local workforces. It's also worrying to see the contractors at the arena argue that before the accident the same procedure was carried out thirty eight times, as if that is some kind of effort to purport blame on mere bad luck. A repeat of this kind of event probably won't happen again as constructions of next year's stadiums enter what should be their final stages, however one must be careful to remember the deaths of those contributing to the World Cup as quickly as one would remember the greatest goals, games and gaffes that the tournament had to offer.

Structural mishaps aside, the last few days have seen another tragedy occur in Brazil as three people were seriously injured amid scenes of shocking violence at an end-of-season game. Riot Police were required to step in and use rubber bullets in order to restore some kind of order as fans kicked, brawled and punched as play between Vasco de Game and Atletico Paranaense was suspended for seventy minutes. This event, whilst appalling as a standalone incident, has regrettably added to the number of brutal violent clashes that have occurred in recent times. Indeed, one need only recall the death of a fourteen year-old boy at a Corinthians match in February to be reminded of the kind of scenes that Brazilian football fans are capable of creating.

There are often security questions raised when the World Cup visits countries that are not blessed with the developments and infrastructure of other nations, and whilst violent clashes at the tournaments are not reported we have been given a potential taste of what fans may face. Even a small and isolated incident would mar next summer's footballing feast and football's governing bodies must be vigilant and sensible when dealing with these kinds of issues and indeed with people's lives- whether they be those of workers or supporters. It would be awful to see a pushy deadline-hungry FIFA official cause a structural catastrophe, or for a minority group of hooligans to take the life of someone who has arrived in Brazil expecting to return home after seeing the best players to currently walk the planet strut their stuff in a safe and peaceful atmosphere.

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