
Audio By Carbonatix
Former Brazil football star Romario has said Fifa must not be allowed to dictate changes to Brazilian law ahead of the World Cup in 2014.Romario - who is now a congressman - said laws that guarantee half-price tickets to students and pensioners should not be swept away.The Brazilian congress is currently debating a bill that would meet Fifa's conditions for the tournament.Romario, 45, led Brazil's attack when they won the World Cup in 1994.The former star was speaking on a visit to Rio de Janeiro's Maracana stadium, which is being refurbished for the tournament."If Fifa is not put in its rightful place it will soon have more power than our president," he told journalists.Romario said Fifa could bear the cost of maintaining discounted tickets for students and pensioners during the tournaments estimated at around $100m (£64m)."Fifa could earn a little bit less so that the Brazilians can take part," he said.Fifa says the money it makes from World Cup tournaments is reinvested in football.
DelaysEarlier Romario expressed himself more strongly on his Twitter account."Brazil needs to stop this business of becoming a slave of Fifa," he tweeted."The sovereignty of the country must be respected".Romario also warned that infrastructure projects needed for the tournament, including airports and urban transport, were behind schedule."Brazil is certainly not going to stage the best World Cup in history as some have said," he warned."It is not going to be a World Cup for the Brazilian people".Last month the head of Fifa Sepp Blatter wrote to Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff to express concern over delays in the construction of stadiums and infrastructure for the World Cup.Fifa has also been pressing for the rapid approval of the World Cup law, which also covers the protection of trademarks, television rights and the sale of alcohol in stadiums.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Tags:
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
Sabalenka loses deciding set 6-0 to Pegula in Berlin
3 hours -
The World Cup records that look set to be broken
3 hours -
VAR official who made hand gesture returns to duty
4 hours -
Liverpool reject £21.7m Inter Milan offer for Jones
4 hours -
Ten-man Belgium held by Iran in second World Cup draw
4 hours -
Doku criticised over plan to return home for birth
4 hours -
Lamine Yamal shows why this could be his World Cup
4 hours -
Serena Williams to make singles comeback at Wimbledon
4 hours -
Meloni tells Trump to ‘focus on your own popularity’ as row escalates
5 hours -
World Cup still waits for real Brazil to show up
5 hours -
Mahama jokes about Father’s Day gifts, compares bouquet haul to First Lady’s Mother’s Day surprise
5 hours -
NCPTA backs ban on extravagant school graduations, calls for return to discipline, character building
5 hours -
Ghana ranked 1st in Africa with highest policy rate; cost of credit most expensive
5 hours -
Central Regional NADMO gives residents in dilapidated buildings 14 days to evacuate
6 hours -
Bibiani NPP members call for regional chairman’s resignation over disqualification of aspirants
6 hours