Brazil FIFA world Cup 2014

Brits off to Brazil Due to Double for World Cup 2014

2011-08-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

By holidayhypermarket.co.uk

British holidaymakers headed off to the exotic South American destination of Brazil should double in numbers when the country hosts the football World Cup in 2014.

Brazil holidays promoter Embratur made this claim after their predictions were thoroughly analysed. Embratur president Flavio Dino said that he was confident of Brazil's chances of doubling the influx of British tourists in 2014 as he presented his plans for a number of new initiatives which will be revealed for everyone to see at the forthcoming World Travel Market (WTM).

Stats revealed that last year nearly 170,000 British holidaymakers jetted off on cheap flights to Brazil. Clearly, this figure will increase dramatically in the lead up to the World Cup as football enthusiasts follow their beloved national team.

Mr Dino said: "Agents should be aware that we have a very comprehensive and expanding network of airports so it is relatively easy to combine two or three different destinations within a two-week break," he pointed out.

He added that the number of direct flights to Brazilian destinations have been rapidly increased, making it easier for people to find affordable flights at a time and from a departure location that is convenient to them.

BA only has already announced its intentions to double cheap flights to Rio de Janeiro from London Heathrow to provide services six times per week. Embratur officials like Mr Dino are convinced that other airlines will follow suit in the run up to the world’s biggest football event.

Mr Dino added that visitors: "should also be aware there are always hotels being built and new destinations being developed. Earlier this month, Embratur announced a new classification model for all of Brazil's 28,000 hotels in order for tourists to have transparent information on the quality and standards of the country’s accommodation."

Jérôme Valcke attacks Brazil's 'slow' preparations for 2014 World Cup

2011-06-25T05:50:00.000-07:00

By guardian.co.uk

Redevelopment work continuing this month at the Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Photograph: Vanderlei Almeida/AFP/Getty Images

Brazil's slow pace of preparation for the 2014 World Cup has been criticised by the controversial Fifa general secretary Jérôme Valcke.
Valcke, making his first public appearance since Fifa exonerated him of wrongdoing for saying Qatar had "bought" the 2022 World Cup hosting rights, said Brazil were well behind schedule on stadium and transport projects.
He told the Inside World Football Forum in Moscow: "There is a lot of work to deliver. We don't have stadiums, we don't have airports, we don't have a national transportation system in place and we are one month away from the preliminary draw.

"The Maracanã is definitely not currently a World Cup stadium and that's why it's closed. It will be ready at the last minute, a few months maybe, even a few weeks before the tournament if they don't speed up the process. In São Paulo they will not even be able to play the Confederations Cup in 2013 because the stadium will not be ready."
Valcke suggested the main aim in Brazil was to win the World Cup rather than organise a successful tournament.
"In South Africa the main goal was to show the world that Africa could organise a World Cup. In Brazil, in a way the main issue is to win it. Otherwise they will talk about failure."
He refused, though, to comment on the corruption scandals that have engulfed Fifa. "I'm here to talk about football. Sometimes at Fifa we need this," he said.

Rio de Janeiro police clear decks for 2014 World Cup

2011-06-21T22:01:00.000-07:00

By australian.com.au

Hundreds of Brazilian police and soldiers backed by helicopters and armoured vehicles swept in to take over a crime-ridden Rio slum yesterday as part of a pacification plan ahead of the football World Cup in 2014.
More than 100 marines, 160 elite police officers and 600 ordinary officers took part in the operation in the hillside Mangueira neighbourhood, which went off without a shot being fired, a police spokesman said.
Mangueira is near Rio's famed Maracana football stadium.
The pre-announced operation began just after dawn with 14 armoured personnel carriers thundering up the slum's steep roads and helicopters clattering overhead, as security forces on foot followed with arms at the ready.
Ninety minutes later, two of the vehicles reached the highest point of the slum and officers hoisted the Brazilian flag atop a water tank. The forces met no resistance. Drug gangs that had been controlling the district had fled well in advance.
"We were woken at six in the morning by the helicopters. Everything was already calm before that. It would have been better if they spent the money on improving the hospitals," said one resident, a kitchen employee and mother of five who gave her first name as Bete.
Her seven-year-old nephew Donatan said he was afraid: "When I heard the noise, my legs started shaking. The house was shaking, too. I thought the police were going to start shooting."
Most residents refused to comment for fear of reprisals in case the drug gangs returned. The few who did refused to give their last name.
"All of that is because of the World Cup. But afterwards, who will make sure it doesn't go back to like before, that the police won't leave?" asked Vera, 54.
Vinicius, 15, feared what the slum would be like under police control. "It's finished, going out at night. We'll have to stay at home."
Some residents said they were worried more about the police than the gang members, who reigned but also provided security. There were also concerns that gunfights might break out between police and drug traffickers.
The operation was the final link in a "security perimeter" authorities have set up around the Maracana stadium, which will play host to the World Cup final, to be watched by more than 700 million television viewers around the world.
It will also be a venue for sports featuring in the 2016 Olympic Games, which Rio will also host.
Unlike in previous years, when the police raided the neighbourhoods only to exit soon after, leaving a vacuum quickly filled by returning gangs, they are setting up local posts in the slums to maintain control.

Fifa admits infrastructure problems hampering Brazil 2014 World Cup preparations

2011-06-01T23:45:00.000-07:00

By goal.com

Airports, accommodation and transportation are on Fifa's agenda for World Cup 2014 as Valcke admits to issues regarding progress with modernisation.

Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke admits there are problems with the infrastructure surrounding preparations for World Cup 2014 in Brazil.

Valcke, who was speaking at the Fifa congress in Zurich where Sepp Blatter is running unopposed in the presidential elections, has previously criticised preparations for the slow pace which has hampered progress.

Yet, despite claiming Fifa is working hard to ensure everything is on course, Valcke, who is responsible for overseeing the tournament is delivered on time, admits there are problems.

"We have the full support of the new president of the country [Dilma Rousseff] which gives us confidence in the many problems we have to face which are airports, accommodation and transportation," Valcke said.

"We are working very well with the organising committee and Ricardo Teixeira."

Stadiums have also been hit by delays, but Valcke insists developments are in sight.

"We have been able to finalise with most of the cities about their stadiums," he concluded.

Media centre for 2014 World Cup in Brazil to be located in Rio de Janeiro

2011-05-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

By The Associated Press

RIO DE JANEIRO — The International Broadcast Center for the 2014 World Cup will be located in Rio de Janeiro, FIFA said Friday.

Rio won the right over Sao Paulo, South America's largest city, and Brasilia, the nation's capital.

FIFA said Rio was chosen because of its "quality of infrastructure" and "variety of accommodation."

"I can tell you it was a very difficult decision," FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke said in a statement. "All candidates were of great quality and showed huge commitment. But unfortunately there can only be one selected host and we considered that the best overall for FIFA was Rio de Janeiro."

Rio is set to host the World Cup final at Maracana stadium, while Sao Paulo and Brasilia are two of the cities vying for the opening match three years from now.

The media centre will be located at the Riocentro complex, which accommodated the press centre and some competitions during the 2007 Pan American Games.

"This IBC will be one of the most advanced information centres in the world for the months of June and July 2014," Valcke said. "It is a vital component, linking the FIFA World Cup to the rest of the world and ensuring that people across the globe have the latest and best coverage of our beautiful game."

FIFA said 179 broadcasters from more than 70 countries had onsite productions with 13,000 staff members during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Brazil will be hosting the World Cup for the first time since 1950.

Pitch guidelines passed on to Host Cities

2011-05-21T23:27:00.000-07:00

By FIFA.com

The two-day Seminar for Pitch Preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, held in Fortaleza (Ceara state), came to a conclusion yesterday. The event brought together pitch specialists from the 12 Host Cities, with key guidelines being put in place for all the stadiums hosting matches at Brazil 2014.

The event began on Thursday, with the Governor of Ceara state, Cid Gomes, in attendance along with FIFA representatives and members of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Local Organising Committee (LOC).

FIFA organised the gathering with a view to establishing quality and durability standards applicable to all the pitches to be used at Brazil 2014. In the opinion of world football’s governing body, it is essential that all pitches are managed, maintained and cut according to the same guidelines.

A decision has yet to be made on the types of grass to be used at the tournament. This will be taken once FIFA has carried out studies across the country, which has four different types of climate in the months of June and July, each with different rainfall patterns. Pitch construction is thus a key factor when it comes to standardising guidelines, as drainage and irrigation systems will vary from venue to venue. The grass types selected will need to offer durability as well as the ability to regenerate quickly and adapt to each specific climate.

The Host Cities will receive guidelines on the construction of pitches and the equipment needed to maintain them before and after Brazil 2014. Speakers at the seminar pointed to the need for special pitch care at venues with a cold climate, as tropical grass species have greater difficulty in establishing themselves at low temperatures. Pitch specialists will assess the projects presented by the 12 Host Cities in close detail and will provide their assistance in implementing them.

As the LOC’s Executive Operations Director, Ricardo Trade, explained, the Host Cities have a major responsibility in ensuring they get pitch preparation right.

“As a country famed for its football, the onus and the moral obligation is upon us to stage a superb FIFA World Cup finals, with each venue offering the same level of quality,” he said. “This is our opportunity to show the world just how good we are even when we don’t have the ball at our feet.”

LOC puts on pitch preparation seminar in Fortaleza

2011-05-19T00:45:00.000-07:00

By FIFA.com

On Thursday 19 and Friday 20 May, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the next FIFA World Cup™ will put on a Seminar for Pitch Preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil in the La Maison Events Centre in Fortaleza (Ceira state). The aim of the gathering is to communicate guidelines on the type of pitch to be used during the competition and to standardise playing surfaces across the tournament’s 12 Host Cities.

The event will get underway at 8.30am on Thursday. Attending the seminar will be pitch consultants from FIFA and the LOC, as well as directors from both organisations and representatives from the 12 Host Cities. Each and every one of the pitch projects proposed for Brazil 2014 will also be individually analysed at the event.

Information will also be provided on the types on drainage system to be used, the selection and testing of materials used in the drainage process, irrigation requirements and supply, water replacement, varieties of turf, turf planting, employee training and the positive legacy to be left after the competition.

“This is one of the legacies this World Cup will leave for football. By standardizing pitches at the highest level across Brazil, it will improve the quality of play and work in the favour of the most talented players,” explained LOC President Ricardo Teixeira.

In the view of agronomist Maristela Kuhn from the company Arena, who supply technical support services for stadiums and pitches to the LOC, this seminar will be key to ensuring the Host Cities fully understand the procedures to be followed when laying international-standard pitches.

“This seminar will be important in order for us to show each one of the Host Cities what will be required in technological terms when it comes to laying the pitches, depending on the climate in each area,” said Kuhn. “FIFA’s technical requirements will also be outlined, since we’re seeking to have excellent quality surfaces.”

This is the first official FIFA World Cup event to be held in Fortaleza. The LOC intends to spread out seminars and get-togethers across the 12 Host Cities, so that all of them have the chance to get into the FIFA World Cup spirit. Other cities that have already welcomed seminars this calendar year are Brasilia and Belo Horizonte.

2014 World Cup qualifiers begin in November

2011-05-18T23:46:00.000-07:00

By newsday.co.zw

Zimbabwe’s long road to the 2014 Fifa World Cup football finals to be staged in Brazil will start on November 11 this year following the adoption of a new format based on rankings by the Confederation of African Football (Caf).

Zimbabwe slid to their second worst ranking — 129 — in world football following their 1-0 defeat away to Mali in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in March. They are ranked 36th in Africa.

The April world rankings placed Zimbabwe 129th, just two places from their worst ever ranking of 131, which was attained in October 2009.

The latest ranking means Zimbabwe have gone down 11 places since January when they were ranked in 118th position.

Zimbabwe’s World Cup campaign starts immediately after the Warriors finish their current engagement in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers with an away match to the Cape Verde Islands in October.

The new format, announced by Caf Monday will see five teams from Africa compete and Zimbabwe is part of the 24 nations that are ranked lowest on the continent.

The Caf Executive Committee, chaired by its president Issa Hayatou ratified the changes at a meeting on Monday and the qualifiers will start almost three years before the finals in Brazil.

The 24 lowest-ranked sides on the African continent who enter the first stage of qualification are Central African Republic, DR Congo, Sierra Leone, Congo, Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Namibia, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, Burundi, Swaziland, Liberia, Lesotho, Mauritania, Eritrea, Somalia, Comoros, Mauritius, Djibouti and Seychelles.

The sides will be drawn in a two-legged tie that will be played on November 11 and November 15 this year, with 12 teams qualifying from the matches to join the remaining 28 teams in the draw.
The 40 sides will then be drawn into 10 groups of four and they will play on a home-and-away basis in a round-robin format that will run from June 2012 to September 2013.

Only the 10 group winners will advance to the next stage and they will then be drawn in a two-legged tie that will determine Africa’s five representatives for the 2014 World Cup.

Those ties will be played in October and November 2013, meaning the qualification process in its entirety is two years long, making a total of 154 matches.

Zimbabwe are under Norman Mapeza in the Afcon campaign and it is highly unlikely that cash-strapped Zifa will make changes to the technical team for the more challenging World Cup qualifiers.

Already, Zifa are saddled with debts inherited from the Wellington Nyatanga regime and face a $450 000 compensation riddle for Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet, who has filed his claim with world football-governing body Fifa.

The Warriors have two points from three matches in the Afcon race, having drawn 1-1 and 0-0 against Liberia and Cape Verde Islands before the 1-0 loss to Mali in Bamako in March.

They face Mali on June 5 at home, Liberia in September, also at home and Cape Verde away in October before they kick-start the World Cup campaign the following month.

2014 Fifa World Cup qualification process
Stage 1

First Round for 24 bottom Fifa-ranked teams

11/11/11 1st Leg
15/11/11 2nd Leg

Stage 2
Group phase – 10 groups of 4 teams (12 teams from Stage 1 + 28 teams)
01-05/06/12 Match Day 1
08-12/06/12 Match Day 2
22-26/03/13 Match Day 3
07-11/06/13Match Day 4
14-18/06/13Match Day 5
06-10/09/13 Match Day 6
Stage 3

Play-off phase – 5 matches home and away: 10 teams
11-15/10/13 1st Leg
15-19/11/13 2nd Leg

FIFA Task Force Football 2014 starts work with first proposals

2011-05-11T00:46:00.000-07:00

By FIFA.com

The FIFA Task Force Football 2014 convened for the first time today (10 May 2011) at the Home of FIFA, with former Zambian international striker Kalusha Bwalya heading the inaugural session as acting chairman. The high-profile panel of experts from across the world of football started its work by making some concrete initial proposals. In his opening remarks, FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter stressed that the time had come to re-introduce such a task force for the first time since the 1990 FIFA World Cup™ in order to review the game and discuss what the future of football could hold. The objective for this task force is to formulate and present concrete solutions at the 2012 FIFA Congress.

“Unfortunately, Franz Beckenbauer was not able to attend today for health reasons,” said President Blatter, “but we prepared this task force meeting thoroughly together. I wish him a quick recovery. I am very proud of the commitment shown by all the members of this group. I am convinced that with this line-up we will endeavour to maintain and even raise the attractiveness of the game, in particular to meet the changing demands of fans, whilst continuing to protect its integrity and core values.”

Chairman Franz Beckenbauer sent a message to his colleagues, saying: “I very much regret that I am not able to attend today’s meeting. The FIFA Task Force Football 2014 is a hugely important project and the establishment of this working group, tasked with setting the course for the future of football, is an excellent idea put forward by the FIFA President.”

"I am convinced that with this line-up we will endeavour to maintain and even raise the attractiveness of the game, in particular to meet the changing demands of fans, whilst continuing to protect its integrity and core values." Sepp Blatter, FIFA President

“Working on this project means a great deal to me personally and I was very much looking forward to today’s meeting, and in particular to seeing my colleagues and experts from the world of football again. Over the last few weeks, we prepared everything in detail and it is now time to address a number of important matters. I am sure that my colleagues will represent me admirably today and that we will be able to lay the foundations together for our future work.”

The first concrete proposals of the FIFA Task Force Football 2014 are as follows:

· The members agreed to propose allowing a fourth substitution in extra time, particularly for youth competitions.

· Discussion of the interpretation of “Law 11 – Offside” when it comes to interfering with an opponent, especially when it is not physical interference.

· Triple punishment: the members agreed that only in case of serious fouls as well as when denying the opposing team a goalscoring opportunity should a triple punishment be imposed with a penalty, a red card and a suspension. The group proposed reducing sanctions for simple fouls and holding a player in the penalty area to a penalty and a yellow card only. The proposal will be re-submitted to IFAB.

· Refereeing: there was general agreement on the need to professionalise refereeing. Massimo Busacca reported on his experience as a FIFA referee as a basis for discussion on the group’s task to come up with concrete solutions in order to further enhance the level of refereeing and to look into opportunities for how to better support referees for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™.

· Competition regulations: a proposal for a uniform classification system in all intercontinental competitions, including the procedures to determine the winner of a match, was discussed and adjourned for consideration at the next meeting.

· Youth competitions: the task force proposed that for FIFA U-17 competitions and below in both the men’s and women’s game, there should be no extra time following a draw after 90 minutes, and instead the teams should proceed directly to a penalty shoot-out.

· Women’s football: the group was asked to come up with proposals to increase the number of female coaches and female referees.

Chairman Franz Beckenbauer will report on the proposals at the 61st Congress in Zurich on 1 June. For further information on the task force and quotes from the members, please visit FIFA.com.

New concern raised over whether Brazil's airports can cope with 2014 World Cup

2011-05-08T22:13:00.000-07:00

By sportsfeatures.com

LONDON/RIO DE JANEIRO, May 08: While Sports Minister Orlando Silva is making all the right positive noises about Brazil’s preparations to host the 2014 World Cup, support has come for concerns expressed earlier this year by FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

A critical report in The Economist points up the lack of urgency in airport redevelopment, the fact that work has yet to start on the new stadium due to host the Opening Match in São Paulo and a forecast of cost over-runs on the rebuilding of Maracana in Rio de Janeiro – venue for the Final.

The size of Brazil means that airport efficiency is more important than at any previous World Cup. But The Economist says: “Most most of Brazil’s airports are already operating above their nominal capacity. Baggage handling and check-in are slow; delays and cancellations common . . . hectic growth in local demand would still leave most airports overcrowded — even without 1m football fans.”

This report quotes government sources refuting such negative forecasts but also notes Paulo Resende, an infrastructure specialist, as warning against unrealistic expectations. He says: “If we persist in saying that everything will be ready for the World Cup, no matter what, we risk making fools of ourselves.”

In the meantime, the Brazilian organising committee is in negotiations to appoint triple World Cup-winner Pele as a hosting ambassador.

This may illustrate the depth of concern behind the scenes. Pele has often been at odds with Ricardo Teixeira, who is president of both the Brazilian football confederation and the local World Cup organising committee.

Most notably, their row over domestic TV rights prompted Teixeira’s father-in-law, the then FIFA president Joao Havelange, to bar Pele from a role in the draw for the 1994 World Cup finals in the United States.

World Cup - Brazil 'nears turning point'

2011-05-05T23:48:00.000-07:00

By uk.eurosport.yahoo.com
Brazil's much-criticised 2014 World Cup preparations will be accelerated towards the end of the year
and improve the country's image, sports minister Orlando Silva has said

Work on most of the 12 stadiums has been hit by increases in costs with the worst case in Sao Paulo where construction of Corinthians' new ground, earmarked for the opening match, is still to start three years before the finals.

"FIFA has been systematically following Brazil's preparations and knows the effort the country is making to comply with all the demands," Silva told the Radiobras programme 'Good morning minister'.

"I believe that as we move from 2011 into 2012 the perception of Brazil will change because work on the stadiums at that stage will be very different. I'm confident of that turning point."

However, Silva said on Monday it was unlikely the Corinthians stadium would be ready for the 2013 Confederations Cup, a rehearsal for the World Cup finals a year later, while the start of its construction is delayed by red tape.

Apart from Sao Paulo, work on the stadium in Natal in the north of the country is behind time, while the Maracana in Rio, likely to stage the final, required a huge increase in budget because of the need to replace the top tier because of structural problems.

Silva confirmed that President Dilma Rousseff's decision last month to turn over the improvement and running of airports to private firms had been well received by world governing body FIFA, which had criticised transportation in Brazil.

He said there would also be an investment of 700 million Brazilian reais ($420.2 million) in the ports of venue cities to receive passengers from Ocean cruise ships.

"It's an investment of 700 million focused on passenger terminals. With this investment we'll have adequate tourist terminals for the World Cup," he said.

Silva put at 47 billion reais the total of public and private investments in World Cup related projects from work on stadiums and airports to health, security, hotels and professional training.

Insurance company Liberty Seguros has been unveiled as the latest National Supporter of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

2011-05-05T23:42:00.000-07:00

By sportbusiness.com

Liberty Seguros will receive extensive marketing rights allowing the firm’s logo to be directly associated with the event as the ‘official insurance provider of the 2014 FIFA World Cup’. Nescau and Itau have already been announced as National Supporters of the tournament.

“It gives us great pleasure to welcome Liberty Seguros to our sponsorship family for the 2014 FIFA World Cup,” said FIFA marketing director Thierry Weil. “The fact that so many Brazilian brands are showing such great interest in the event years before it is due to arrive in the country highlights what football and the FIFA World Cup means to the people of Brazil.”

Luis Maurette, Liberty Seguros’ CEO, added: “We are looking forward to playing our part in welcoming the FIFA World Cup back to Brazilian soil for the first time since 1950 and are sure that our involvement in the tournament will have a great impact on our business within Brazil. We firmly believe that this sponsorship will bring us closer to our consumers.”

More Airport Worries for Brazil 2014

2011-05-05T23:39:00.000-07:00

By worldfootballinsider.com

Brazil will let private companies run the airport terminals needed for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, a reversal leaving some entrepreneurs wary about taking part.

The government will offer concessions to firms willing to build - and operate - five major passenger terminals demanded by the tournament, Reuters reports.

Still, the private sector remains hesitant of the red tape that comes hand-in-hand with its involvement.

"Time is short,” Paulo Godoy, head of private infrastructure association Abdib, told the news agency. “We need clear rules of the game fast.”

Around $3 billion is being spent to upgrade Brazil’s airports prior to the World Cup. FIFA has cited the slow pace of construction and upgrades on airports as its chief concern in recent months.

Up to one million visitors are expected for the month-long tournament. With venues in 12 cities spread across Brazil, the World Cup is more dependent on a robust airport infrastructure than the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Two airports serve the city of Rio de Janeiro, one for international travel and one for domestic flights.

CONCACAF Play-offs for Brazil 2014 World Cup Draw; Belarus FA Chief Re-elected

2011-04-26T23:12:00.000-07:00

By worldfootballinsider.com

CONCACAF has announced that a series of play-off matches will be contested in June to cut the number of its teams for the Brazil 2014 World Cup draw in Rio de Janeiro on July 30.

The region's 10 lowest ranked teams according to March’s FIFA world rankings were paired against each other for the five play-off matches. They will be played over two legs.

The play-offs feature: Montserrat v Belize; Anguilla v Dominican Republic; US Virgin Islands v British Virgin Islands; Aruba v St. Lucia; and Bahamas v Turks and Caicos.

The winners will join the remaining 25 higher-ranked teams from the region in the draw. The first game is scheduled for June 3, with the return leg on June 7.

The Brazil 2014 qualifying draw, a key milestone in the country's World Cup preparations, will take place at Marina da Gloria harbour, close to Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach. Almost all of FIFA's 208 member nations are expected to be involved in the draw, including those currently suspended, Indonesia and Bosnia.

In March, FIFA decided that CONCACAF and the other five continental confederations would have the same allocation of places for the Brazilian World Cup as for last year's edition in South Africa.

Europe have 13 spots, Africa 5, South America 4.5, Asia 4.5, North, Central America and Caribbean 3.5 and Oceania 0.5.

Roumas re-elected as Belarus FA chief
Sergei Roumas says he aims to raise standards in the national league after being elected as the new president of the Football Federation of Belarus.

Roumas was elected unopposed in the association's elections. He replaces Gennadi Nevyglas, who has been named honorary president.

"We have to double the number of people involved in grassroots football. Youth football is hugely important to us. We need to improve the standard of the national league as it is fundamental to all our national teams," Roumas told delegates, according to UEFA.com.

Belarusian football has grown in stature under Nevyglas. The country qualified for a third UEFA European Under-21 Championship this summer. The efforts of FC BATE Borisov in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League have raised the profile of the country's club football.

Sports minister criticizes delay in Sao Paulo for World Cup

2011-04-25T00:24:00.000-07:00

By news.xinhuanet.com

RIO DE JANEIRO, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's minister of sports, Olrando Silva, on Sunday openly criticized the city of Sao Paulo for its lack of preparations regarding the 2014 World Cup.

Silva cited that the delay in construction of Corinthians' new stadium as irresponsible. Corinthians and the city of Sao Paulo are in the dispute to hold the opening ceremonies and first match of the 2014 World Cup.

The minister added that Brasilia, Belo Horizonte and Salvador are also locations that are in contention to hold the inaugural match. Silva emphasized that FIFA will have the final say as to where the opening match will be held.

Corinthians previously issued a statement claiming that its new stadium will not be ready in time to host any of the matches during the 2013 Confederations Cup, warm-up tournament to the 2014 World Cup.

Silva cited that 70 percent of the construction projected in preparation for the 2014 World Cup will have begun in 2011. The delay in construction and preparation for the world's largest soccer event has caused the president of FIFA, Joseph Blatter, to condemn the holdups in Brazil.

Worried about the delays, Brazil's president Dilma Rousseff has scheduled a meeting with each of the respective governors and World Cup organizers in each of the host cities. The president hopes to encourage the speedy and successful completion of construction and preparation throughout country so that Brazil can pull off a triumphant World Cup in 2014.

FIFA Task Force Football 2014 members announced

2011-04-19T23:35:00.000-07:00

By newdesignworld.com

Following a proposal made by FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter, the FIFA Task Force Football 2014 was approved by the Executive Committee on 29 October 2010. The 22-member think tank comprises representatives from FIFA’s Football, Technical and Development, Medical and Referees Committees and other football experts. Their brief is to carry out an in-depth analysis of the modern game with a view to making proposals designed to improve it at every level.

Chaired by Franz Beckenbauer, the Task Force will work on areas such as the Laws of the Game, refereeing, competition regulations, women’s football, medical matters and fair play. FIFA.com introduces you to its 22 members.

Franz Beckenbauer (Chairman): One of the most successful players in the history of the game, the Bayern Munich and West Germany centre-half is the only man along with Brazil’s Mario Zagallo to have won the FIFA World Cup™ as both a player and a coach. Nicknamed The Kaiser during his playing days, Beckenbauer was also the President of the FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 Local Organising Committee.

Carlos Alarcon Rios: Hailing from Paraguay, Mr Alarcon is the President of the CONMEBOL Referees Committee and is one of the most prominent figures in refereeing in Latin America. He is also a member of the FIFA Referees Committee.

Demetrio Albertini: An utterly dependable midfielder in his playing days, Albertini spent 12 seasons at AC Milan, making 415 appearances for the club to go with the 79 he made for his country. The 39-year-old retired in December 2005 but maintained his links with the game by becoming a vice-president of the Italian Football Association.

Massimo Busacca: The 42-year-old Swiss is regarded as one of the finest referees in the world. He took charge of four games at the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cup finals and speaks five languages in all (Italian, English, French, Spanish and German).

Kalusha Bwalya: The former Zambia international top-scored at the 1996 CAF African Cup of Nations and has held many positions in the game. After taking on the job of national team coach following his retirement, he then became President of the Zambian Football Association and now sits on the CAF Executive Committee.

Cafu: Born Marcos Evangelista de Moraes, Cafu is one of the finest right-backs in the history of the game. Now 40, he won 142 caps for Brazil and appeared in four FIFA World Cup finals, collecting a winner’s medal in two of them (1994 and 2002), the second time as captain.

Sir Bobby Charlton: Regarded as one of the finest English players of all time, Charlton formed part of a fabled trio at Manchester United with Denis Law and George Best and played a central part in England’s FIFA World Cup triumph on home soil in 1966. He also sits on FIFA’s Football Committee.

Ivan Curkovic: The President of Partizan Belgrade and the President of Serbia’s National Olympic Committee until February 2009, this ex-goalkeeper played 19 times for the former Yugoslavia and made 383 appearances for Saint-Etienne. He also sits on FIFA’s Stadium and Security Committee.

Jiri Dvorak: FIFA’s Chief Medical Officer and the Director of its Medical Assessment and Research Centre (F-MARC), Professor Dvorak has been working with world football’s governing body since 1994 and is also a member of IOC and WADA committees.

Sunil Gulati: A professor of Economics at the University of Columbia, New York, Mr Gulati is the President of US Soccer, the USA’s national association, and also sits on FIFA’s Strategic Committee.

Fernando Hierro: One of the finest central defenders of his time, the Spaniard spent 14 seasons at Real Madrid, winning three UEFA Champions League titles with them. He is currently Technical Director with the Spanish national team.

Charmaine Hooper: A legend in her native Canada, Hooper won 131 caps with the Maple Leafs, scoring 71 goals, and appeared in the FIFA Women’s World Cup three times. She is now a member of FIFA’s Football Committee.

Alex Horne: Horne was appointed English Football Association’s Finance Director in 2003 and was made its General Secretary in May last year. He was also the Managing Director of Wembley Stadium from December 2006 to July 2008.

Christian Karembeu: Born in New Caledonia, and a world champion with France in 1998 and a European champion two years later, Karembeu was a versatile midfielder before retiring to become FIFA Ambassador for Oceania and a member of FIFA’s Football Committee.

Tracy Lu: Hailing from China, Lu is a member of FIFA’s Committee for Women's Football and the FIFA Women's World Cup, and began her career as an interpreter with the Chinese Football Association, where she has climbed up through the ranks.

Ioan Lupescu: The former attacking midfielder is one of the best-known and most successful players in his Romania’s history. Lupescu appeared at two FIFA World Cup finals and at two UEFA EURO tournaments in the 1990s and represented his country on 72 occasions, scoring six goals in the process. He has formed part of FIFA’s Technical Study Group many times.

Peter Mikkelsen: Now 61, the Dane became an international referee after ending his playing career, officiating in two matches at Italy 1990 and three at USA 1994. He now sits on FIFA’s Referees Committee.

Dejan Savicevic: An old-style left winger, the Montenegrin was a skilled dribbler with an eye for goal. The scorer of 29 goals in 56 games for the former Yugoslavia, Savicevic also enjoyed great success with AC Milan. Now the President of the Montenegrin Football Association, he is also a member of FIFA’s Football Committee.

Marina Sbardella: This Italian TV journalist has hosted several sports programmes on TG3, TMC and La7, and sits on the Organising Committee for the FIFA U-17 and U-20 Women’s World Cups. She is also a member of the coaching staff for the Italian national women’s team.

Kohzo Tashima: Formerly the Technical Director of the Japanese Football Association and now its General Secretary, Mr Tashima played an active part in the preparations for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Japan/Korea. He is also a vice-president of the Asian Football Confederation.

Theo van Seggelen: The General Secretary of FIFPro, the worldwide players’ union, which represents some 55,000 players, Mr Van Seggelen also sits on FIFA’s Strategic Committee.

Brazilian airport renovations to be completed by 2014 World Cup

2011-04-16T22:24:00.000-07:00

By xinhuanet.com

Brazil's Civil Aviation Secretary Wagner Bittencourt said on Friday that the renovations in the country's airports for the 2014 FIFA World Cup are proceeding as scheduled. "The renovations are going ahead as scheduled to meet to the demands presented by the Cup," Bittencourt said. The secretary's statement contradicts a report released on Thursday by the Institute of Applied Economic Research (Ipea), which stated that out of the 12 airports which are being renovated for the World Cup, nine would not be ready in time for the competition. According to Bittencourt, the government is studying strategies to speed up the projects, and one of the options foresees private investments in the airports. He stressed, though, that no decision has been made. Planning Minister Miriam Belchior agreed with Bittencourt that the renovations are going as expected. She said Brazil will not be ashamed of the airports in the World Cup. "As always, Brazil will do fine," she said. FIFA considered the state of Brazilian airports a critical point in Brazil's preparation to host the World Cup. The International Olympic Committee also expressed worry about the subject, as Rio will host the Summer Olympics in 2016.

Maracana to be renovated in time for Brazil 2014 World Cup

2011-04-15T01:04:00.000-07:00

By Goal.com

Brazil's legendary stadium, which was built 61 years ago, will receive a big-money facelift to fall into line with Fifa rules that all stadia must be covered in three years time. Rio de Janeiro's iconic Maracana stadium will receive a big-money makeover in time for the 2014 World Cup which is to be held in Brazil. The Rio state body for the protection of historical and artistic buildings (Iphan) has granted permission for a new, larger covering to replace the original roofing of the 82,000 capacity stadium. Renovation is compulsory due to Fifa stating that all stadia holding 2014 World Cup matches must be fully covered. The famous Maracana was originally built 61 years ago, in time for the last time the South American nation held the finals in 1950. The news comes after Fifa president Sepp Blatter praised the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) for their work in preparation for the World Cup in 2014. "We have received some very positive reports everywhere, especially in construction, not only of the stadiums but also the airports and hotels in the different regions," the 75-year-old told reporters on a visit to El Salvador. The renovation is expected to be completed by December 2012, in time for the Confederations Cup in Brazil the following summer.

Blatter satisfied with Brazil 2014 progress

2011-04-15T00:14:00.000-07:00

By insideworldfootball.biz

April 14 - FIFA President Sepp Blatter has said that world football's governing body "do not have any problem" with progress being made by Brazil in preparation for the 2014 World Cup.

Blatter is travelling through Central America ahead of the FIFA Presidential election on June 1, in which he faces the challenge of Mohamed Bin Hammam.

And his words contrast with those he used a fortnight ago when he criticised Brazilian preparations, saying that they were far behind where South Africa was at the same stage of organisation for the 2010 tournament.

Following Blatter's previous criticism, Brazil Football Confederation President Ricardo Teixeira said that progress was being made, yet that same week it was announced that there were problems with renovation work being carried out at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana.

And construction is still yet to start on stadiums in Natal and Sao Paulo, but the FIFA President told reporters that he had no concerns at present on any of these issues.

"We don't have any problem because we have received positive reports from all sides - especially in construction," he said.

He added that construction was progressing well "not just for stadiums but for airports and hotels in different regions."

Rio de Janeiro officials said last week that 3,500 extra workers are being hired to ensure renovations at the Maracana will be completed in time for the 2013 Confederations Cup, the traditional test run for the following year's World Cup.

Blatter added that FIFA would be helping to assist with coaching and training in Central America, including the construction of football fields in El Salvador.

The incumbent President is travelling through Belize and onto Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama as he looks to secure votes ahead of the June election, with the Central American region, part of CONCACAF, holding 38 of 208 votes in FIFA.

Perhaps even more crucially, its members are all likely to vote the same way in the election, making it a crucial battle ground between Blatter and his Qatari rival.

China to Assist Brazil in 2014 World Cup Preparations

2011-04-13T00:14:00.000-07:00

By worldfootballinsider.com

A new cooperation and investment agreement between China and Brazil is set to boost preparations for the 2014 World Cup.
Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff and Chinese president Hu Jintao signed the agreement at the Great of Hall of the People in Beijing.
It committed both countries to a partnership in infrastructure construction for Brazil 2014 tournament and Rio 2016 Olympics, Chinese media reported.
Rousseff, who is in China on a six-day visit, called on Chinese rail companies to bid to build high-speed railways projects, including a 500km rail link from Sao Paulo to Rio de Janeiro, which is expected to cost around $20 billion.
Further opportunities to invest in World Cup-related projects will be on show at this year's Soccerex Global Convention in Rio de Janeiro.
Today, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke confirmed his attendance at the Nov. 26-30 event.
Also attending this year’s event, the second to be held in Rio, will be representatives from all 12 World Cup host cities.
A number of FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games partners and sponsors will also be in attendance as well as executives from leading football clubs and rights holders from around the world.
The inaugural event attracted around 3,700 decision makers from the football business industry.

UK sports minister gets behind Women’s Super League
British sports minister Hugh Robertson says he believes the English FA's Women’s Super League, kicking off tomorrow, will be raise standards and interest in the women's game.

“I am extremely confident that the FA’s Women’s Super League will be a great success and will not only benefit our national team but over time will improve standards at the grassroots level of the women’s game both on and off the pitch,” Robertson said at the launch event at Wembley on Monday.

Eight teams from across the country will play in the WSL, the first semi-professional women’s football league in England.

The FA has spent several years developing the WSL, with the aim to professionalise women’s football and attract more women and fans to the game. New research from the FA shows that 180,000 women aged 16 to 34 are considering taking up football in the next year.

England women’s team manager Hope Powell is excited about the launch of the WSL and says it will help prepare her players for the Women's World Cup in Germany in June.

“Playing summer football is quite a radical change, but I think it will be great for the game,” Powell said in a statement.
“Hopefully it will attract more supporters to women’s football because we’ll have nicer weather and conditions will be more pleasant for people to come and watch the matches as a family.

“More importantly, hopefully it will raise standards.

"There are eight teams in the League and the geographical spread of those teams is quite good. Players will want to play, so they will probably move clubs if they want to get regular games at a high level and that puts a good pressure on every member of the squad to perform when they are in the team.”

Teams representing Arsenal, Birmingham, Bristol, Chelsea, Doncaster, Everton, Liverpool and Lincoln will play each other twice over 14 match rounds, kicking off with Chelsea Ladies against Arsenal Ladies on Wednesday.

A venue fit for a Preliminary Draw

2011-04-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

By FIFA.com

The picturesque setting of Rio de Janeiro’s Marina da Gloria has been selected as the location for the first official event of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, the Preliminary Draw, which will take place on 30 July.

The harbour offers a truly spectacular venue for what promises to be a special occasion. Situated at the foot of the world-famous Sugar Loaf Mountain, the Marina da Gloria will provide a stunning gateway to the city for the many visitors expected to flock to Rio in 2014.

However, there is more to Marina da Gloria’s selection than just its aesthetic appeal. The harbour area also boasts 9,000 square metres of floor space for hosting the event, lies within easy reach of Santos Dumont Airport and several hotels in southern Rio, and offers excellent infrastructures for visitors.

The Preliminary Draw is an important step in the countdown to the world finals, with hundreds of journalists from all over the world expected to attend an event sure to please some of the participating nations and disappoint others. All will be revealed in sun-kissed Rio on 30 July.

Brazil's World Cup 2014 preparations hit by new blow as Maracana project is delayed by at least a year

2011-04-01T12:27:00.000-07:00

By telegraph.co.uk

Delayed: Building work at the maracana stadium is to over
run by a year. Photo: Reuters

Alarm bells are ringing over Brazil’s preparations for the 2014 World Cup. Plans have already been criticised by Sepp Blatter, the Fifa president, and it emerged on Thursday that the Maracana stadium, which is to host the final, will require a new roof and may not be ready until 2013.

It was expected that the ground in Rio de Janeiro, which has not been used since last September because of renovation work, would be ready by the end of this year, but Ricardo Teixeira, the Brazilian football federation president, said the target now was the 2013 Confederations Cup.

The initial project was to keep the roof but Teixeira said “unexpected” problems had led engineers to conclude that it would be easier to install a new one than carry out repairs. The project will cost an estimated £400 million in total.

Blatter complained this week that “the World Cup is tomorrow and the Brazilians are thinking it’s the day after tomorrow”, as he compared Brazil’s state of readiness unfavourably with South Africa’s at a corresponding stage.

His comments follow a warning from Pele, who is expected to be an ambassador for the tournament, that the country “is running a huge risk of embarrassing itself in its handling of the World Cup. It has the obligation to host a successful World Cup.”

Misgivings were echoed by those assessing the technical side, with a report finding that most of the stadiums were behind schedule.

The reaction in Brazil has been mixed, with O Globo newspaper advising Fifa to “stay calm”. There are also suggestions that Blatter’s criticism needs to be viewed in the context of internal Fifa politics with Teixeira, a former Blatter ally, reportedly changing sides to vote for Mohammed Bin Hammam in the coming Fifa presidential election.

Orlando Silva, Brazil’s sport minister, said: “This is more a question of diverting attention from internal issues that involve Fifa than a realistic analysis of the work being done.”

But a consultant from the respected Fundacao Getulio Vargas institute, which has collaborated on the planning for World Cup 2014, acknowledged that “up until now it’s promising to be a mess. We need to move fast to work this out. But the first thing to do is to admit the problem exists.”

Another view is that the plan to stage the tournament in 12 cities was overblown. While some grounds are making encouraging progress, Fifa alarm has been triggered by the fact that work has yet to start in Natal and Sao Paulo.

The latter is planned to be the Corinthians stadium at Itaquera but there has been controversy both over the venue and the cost to transform the projected venue from a capacity of 45,000 to 65,000 as the stage for the opening game in June 2014. A sticking point has been facilitating extra funding.

It is widely believed in Brazil that problems over stadiums and other issues, such as security and transport infrastructure, can be pinned on the country’s Byzantine politics. Last year progress to 2014 appeared paralysed as the country went to the polls to replace President Lula. His successor, Dilma Rousseff, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the project but budgets cuts of around £20 billion are likely to have an effect.

Critics also blame the Brazilian FA and Teixeira for the problems, arguing that neglect of Brazil’s domestic football structure and personal ambitions are complicating preparations.

Juca Kfouri, a leading journalist, said: “The main problem is the lack of credibility of who is running the local organising committee. In France it was Platini. In Germany Beckenbauer. In Brazil it’s Ricardo Teixeira.”

Teixeira is also the centre of attention in Brazil’s Congress, where there are attempts to set up an inquiry into the handling of preparations for 2014 and the sale of television rights. Among the controversies are questions about where the profits from 2014 will go.

While Teixeira still has powerful allies, some feel complacency is still Brazil’s biggest problem.

Brazil 2014 draw stirs Asian hopefuls

2011-03-31T10:20:00.000-07:00

By FIFA.com

Nearly nine months on since the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ concluded, Asia put the wheels in motion for Brazil 2014 by conducting the draw for the opening two qualifying rounds on Wednesday. 16 of the continent's lowest ranked sides will battle against each other in the first phase, with the eight winners advancing to join a further 22 teams in the next stage. Australia, Korea Republic, Japan,Korea DPR and Bahrain – the confederation’s top five teams in South Africa 2010 qualifying – will automatically enter in Round 3.

Yesterday's event largely turned out to be kind for some traditional powerhouses, with four-time FIFA World Cup qualifiers Saudi Arabia drawn to meet Hong Kong. Fellow east Asian giants Iran cross paths with Maldives, a side against whom they netted 22 unanswered goals against over two legs in qualifying for France 1998. Team Melli legend Karim Bagheri scoring a then FIFA World Cup record seven goals in Tehran.

China PR, the fifth highest Asian team in the current FIFA/Coca Cola World Ranking, are pitted against the winners of Cambodia and Laos. While a comfortable aggregate victory should be within their grasp, head coach Gao Hongbo refused to take their prospective opponents lightly. "We have paid the price for our slip-ups on too many occasions in past World Cup bids, so the lessons we must learn is that we can't underestimate any opponent," said Gao. "We should focus our attention on preparation and do our best regardless of the rivals."

The opening round will also provide some of lesser known teams with a rare chance to enjoy the spotlight and cause an upset. Boosted by their recent qualifying success for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup, Philippines are keen to shrug off their whipping-boys tag when they take on Sri Lanka. "It is not a bad draw for us," Philippines coach Michael Weiss told FIFA.com. "Sri Lanka represents a force in south Asia but we should have a good chance against them."

Awaiting the Filipinos, should they get the better of Sri Lanka, will be ten-time Gulf champions and 1982 FIFA World Cup participants Kuwait, who are 48 places above the Azkals in the global pecking order. The German tactician remains undaunted saying his side do not intend to merely make up the numbers, regardless of their opponent. "If we have all our top players available with the preparation going smoothly, we have a 30 per cent chance against them,” he said. “At least we will give them a hard time.”

Enticing match-ups The draw throws up a host of intriguing match-ups, with the encounter between 2011 AFC Asian Cup finalists United Arab Emirates and India arguably the most intriguing. Both sides bowed out after the group stage in January's continental competition, but it was the Middle East side that can draw inspiration from a 5-0 friendly triumph over the south Asians in the Asian Cup build-up.

"On paper we may be favourites to win the campaign," said UAE's Slovenian coach Srecko Katanec. "But things are very close nowadays and any team can cause a sensation if they are on their day. Besides, we should also keep wary of the difficulties caused by the hot and humid weather."

The second round also pits some familiar foes together, with Asian Cup semi-finalists Uzbekistan locking horns with Kyrgyzstan in an all-Central Asian affair. Neighbours Tajikistan face another meeting against Syria, with the pair having also met in the qualification campaign for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, when the latter prevailed 3-1 on aggregate.

Another former Soviet republic, Turkmenistan, will resume an unlikely rivalry against Indonesia, with the two side’s level on head-to-head record after each claimed a home 3-1 win in their previous meetings, also in Germany 2006 qualifying. For their part, 2022 FIFA World Cup hosts Qatar may feel they have a score to settle with Vietnam, after their last meeting ended in a surprise 1-1 draw and contributed to the Gulf nation’s early exit from the 2007 Asian Cup.

Thailand received, on paper at least, a favourable draw. Their coach Bryan Robson told FIFA.com: "We've got either Afghanistan or Palestine, which is quite ironic really as we've just met Palestine in an Olympic qualifier. But if we get the same result and get through to the group stages then I won't be complaining! Obviously the target is Brazil, which is some way off, but we've got to start somewhere."

Round 1
Malaysia-Chinese Taipei
Bangladesh-Pakistan
Cambodia-Laos
Sri Lanka-Philippines
Afghanistan-Palestine
Vietnam-Macau
Nepal-Timor-Leste
Mongolia-Myanmar

Round 2
Thailand-Afghanistan or Palestine
Lebanon-Bangladesh or Pakistan
China PR-Cambodia or Laos
Turkmenistan-Indonesia
Kuwait-Sri Lanka or Philippines
Oman-Mongolia or Myanmar
Saudi Arabia-Hong Kong
Iran-Maldives
Syria-Tajikistan
Qatar-Vietnam or Macau
Iraq-Yemen
Singapore-Malaysia or Chinese Taipei
Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan
United Arab Emirates-India
Jordan-Nepal or Timor-Leste

Brazil will meet World Cup deadline: Officials

2011-03-30T22:10:00.000-07:00

By Reuters

RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil's 2014 World Cup officials are lining up to debunk FIFA chief Sepp Blatter's suggestion they are behind schedule, with Rio de Janeiro state sports secretary Marcia Lins joining the fray on Wednesday.

"Blatter mustn't worry, the (construction) time frame will be met," Lins said in an interview.

FIFA president Blatter criticised on Monday what he called Brazil's day-after-tomorrow attitude to their World Cup preparations.

He said political infighting was delaying work especially in Rio, which is to host the final at the giant Maracana stadium, and Sao Paulo where work has not yet begun on a venue to hold the opening match.

The Brazilian government and the local organising committee also said soccer's ruling body FIFA should not worry and invited Blatter to come and see for himself.

"If (FIFA) have doubts they can be clarified. They can come here and watch the work going on at the Maracana," said Lins, repeating the invitation to Blatter.

"We have cameras monitoring the works and the local organising committee have access. There are daily visits and inspections that will show the Maracana won't be a problem for the (2013) Confederations Cup," Lins added.

"The stadium will be ready in December 2012. There's no risk of that not happening."

MAIN ARENA

Lins said she was working on the basis of the Maracana being the main arena for the Confederations Cup which will act as a dress rehearsal for the World Cup a year later.

"It's a natural thing. One of the objectives of the Confederations Cup is to test the stadiums for the (World) Cup. The Maracana, apart from staging the final, will be used for other matches," she said.

"Rio is also the gateway to Brazil which gives the stadium even more relevance."

The project for the stadium's refurbishment is to be officially unveiled on April 19.

It will detail all the work to be undertaken including whether the run-down upper tier will be restored or rebuilt from scratch -- which is expected to increase costs from 705 million reais ($428 million) to more than one billion.

"If we opt for restoring (the Maracana) it will get a new lease of life of something over 10 years," Lins said. "If we decide on reconstruction, that time could be 20, 30 years depending on the materials we use."

Brazil hits back at FIFA, says no divisions over 2014

2011-03-29T23:40:00.000-07:00

By Africa Reuters

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil's top soccer official has hit back at criticism from FIFA boss Sepp Blatter, saying there was harmony between the government and the 2014 World Cup tournament's organising committee.

"I'm unaware of any conflict between mayors and governors in any of the twelve 2014 World Cup venues," said Brazilian Football Confederation president Ricardo Teixeira, who is also head of the Local Organising Committee (COL).

"On the contrary, FIFA has seen for years the combined work of the public authorities with the Local Organising Committee and FIFA itself," he said in a statement posted on the CBF website (www.cbf.com.br).

Teixeira said Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff had shown her support "concerning the federal government's principal attributes (airports and urban transport)."

Blatter had been scathing of progress on the tournament on Monday, and said political squabbles were a principal cause of the delays, particularly in Rio de Janeiro, which is to host the final at the giant Maracana stadium, and Sao Paulo where work has not yet begun on a stadium to hold the opening match.

Teixeira said the Maracana would be ready within the deadline set by FIFA in 2013 in time for the Confederations Cup which serves as a dress rehearsal for the World Cup finals despite problems recently discovered in the upper tier that will have to be redone from scratch rather than simply restored.

He added that he had been given guarantees from the parties involved in building a new stadium in Sao Paulo that it would also been ready within the set time frame.

"It's not the job of the CBF to pressure governors, the less so when there's no reason to do so," Teixeira said before he invited Blatter to Brazil to see the progress of work.

Blatter urges Brazil to speed up World Cup stadia

2011-03-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

By AFP

GENEVA — FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Monday urged Brazil to speed up its 2014 World Cup preparations, warning that Rio and Sao Paulo might not be ready to host Confederations Cup matches a year beforehand.

"If you make a comparison between the state of play in South Africa and Brazil three years before the World Cup, Brazil is behind Africa. It shouldn't be said but it's a fact," the head of world football's governing body told journalists.

"If they carry on working like that when we have the Confederations Cup... a year before the World Cup as a rehearsal, there won't be matches in Rio and no matches in Sao Paulo," he added. "The World Cup stadiums are still not ready."

Blatter said he was waiting for "a bit of effect" from the five-time World Cup winners "because it's not moving forward, it's not moving forward very fast".

"What they should do in Brazil is put a little bit more speed in the organisation," he added.

But Brazilian Sports Minister Orlando Silva responded to Blatter's criticism by saying work in 10 of the 12 cities was progressing "at full speed".

"We have some problems with the Natal and Sao Paulo stadiums but in the other cities the work is going ahead at full speed," Silva said.

"I understand FIFA's worry and concern, but we don't want to talk with them. We only want to work so the calendar is maintained."

Silva, however, added that he too was concerned with the state of progress in works in the transport sector, notably airports.

Work on almost all of the 12 World Cup venues in the country is behind schedule, while airports in Brazil are also saturated, with flight delays and cancellations a common daily occurrence.

Retired Brazilian soccer legend Pele claimed last month that Brazil was "running the risk of being red-faced in the way it is managing the World Cup".

Brazil’s government plans a “name and shame” approach to accelerate the country’s preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro

2011-03-27T22:36:00.000-07:00

By sportbusiness.com

The Financial Times reported that Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff will introduce the system to put pressure on various levels of government to maintain adequate progress in implementing projects.

Miriam Belchior, Brazil’s Minister of Planning, told the newspaper: “When you publish the information you make all of those implementing the projects responsible because they are exposed if there is a delay.”

Belchior added: “Our idea is to have a joint evaluation with the federal, state and municipal governments. This first meeting is to discuss the situation and how we’re going to do it, how we’re going to ensure it (the World Cup planning) is done in time.”

There have been concerns over the rate of preparations ahead of Brazil’s two upcoming mega-events, particularly with regard to the World Cup in just over three years’ time.

Brazil will spend US$13.3 billion on preparations in 12 cities for the World Cup, while the Olympics budget will be $2.8 billion. Henrique Meirelles, the respected former central bank governor, was appointed last week to lead the country’s Olympic Public Authority for the 2016 Games.

World Cup may have goal-line technology

2011-03-27T22:33:00.000-07:00

By smh.com.au

The goal that wasn't..Frank Lampard strike in England's round of 16
clash against Germany in world cup 2010 was controversially
disallowed..

World soccer boss Joseph Blatter expects goal-line technology to be in place for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

"I believe we will have a system in 2012 which allows us to say whether it was a goal or not. And this system will then be introduced for the 2014 World Cup," FIFA president Blatter said in an interview with French TF1 television broadcast on Sunday.

The ruling body FIFA has been reluctant to bring modern technology into football to help referees. But a growing number of players, referees and officials want technology to help determine whether a ball has crossed the line or not, via video evidence or a chip in the ball.

The issue is being re-assessed because a clear England goal in the round of 16 match with Germany at the 2010 World Cup was not given by match officials.

"To avoid what the English have (named) a flagrant injustice, the discussion had to be re-opened, and that is what we did," Blatter told TF1.

FIFA decided earlier this month to delay a decision on goal-line technology to allow further testing of chip balls and goal cameras.

A decision is now expected in March 2012 from the International Football Association Board which oversees the laws of the game.

Europe to maintain qualification format

2011-03-25T23:47:00.001-07:00

By fifa.com

The Executive Committee of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has announced its wish to maintain the current format of the European Zone qualifying competition for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ in Brazil. Similarly to qualifying for South Africa 2010, the 53 member associations will be split into nine groups, with eight groups consisting of six teams and one consisting of five.

The nine group winners will qualify directly for the finals in Brazil, while the eight runners-up will each contest a two-legged play-off tie to determine the remaining four qualifiers. A total of 13 European teams will take part in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the same amount as in 2010.

The approved qualification format must still be ratified by the FIFA Executive Committee, which will convene in Zurich at the end of May. The qualification format forms the basis of the qualifying draw for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, which will take place on 30 July 2011.

43 in the fray for 2014 Fifa World Cup qualifiers

2011-03-22T22:28:00.000-07:00

By the-afc.com
Kuala Lumpur: AFC has announced the qualification format for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers on Wednesday.

Forty-three teams have entered the fray to grab four automatic and an inter-continental playoff berths.

In the first round, the 16 lowest ranked teams will be divided into eight groups for home-and-away matches on June 29 and July 3, 2011.

Eight winners from the first round will join 22 higher ranked teams in the second round where the teams will be divided into 15 groups for home-and-away matches on July 23 and 28.

The 15 winners from the second round will join top five direct entrants in the third round where they will be divided into five groups of four teams each.
The top two teams from each group will make it to Round 4. The third round will be played from September 2, 2011, to February 29, 2012.

The 10 qualified teams in the fourth round will be divided into two groups of five teams each and top two teams from each group will gain automatic berths in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

If Japan make it to the fourth round, they will be placed on Position 5 in their group in order not to play on June 18, 2013, to felicitate their participation in the FIFA Confederations Cup to be held from June 16 to 20, 2013.

Two third-placed teams will play in Round 5 to determine Asia’s representative in the inter-continental playoff.

The fourth round will be played from June 3, 2012, to June 18, 2013, while the playoff between the third-placed teams will be played on September 6 and 10, 2013.

The inter-continental playoff will be played on October 15 and November 19, 2013.

The seeding for the draw, to be held on March 30, will be based on the rankings from 2010 FIFA World Cup and its Asian qualifiers.

Teams ranked from 1-5 will participate in the qualifiers from Round 3, teams ranked 6-27 (22 teams) will participate from Round 2 and the teams ranked 28-43 (16) will play the first round.

THE SEEDINGS

1. Japan, 2. Korea Republic, 3. Australia, 4. DPR Korea, 5. Bahrain, 6. Saudi Arabia, 7. Iran, 8. Qatar, 9. Uzbekistan, 10. UAE, 11. Syria, 12. Oman, 13. Jordan, 14. Iraq, 15. Singapore, 16. China, 17. Kuwait, 18. Thailand, 19. Turkmenistan, 20. Lebanon, 21. Yemen, 22. Tajikistan, 23. Hong Kong, 24. Indonesia, 25. Kyrgyzstan, 26. Maldives, 27. India, 28. Malaysia, 29. Afghanitsan, Cambodia, 31. Nepal, 32. Bangladesh, 33. Sri Lanka, Vietnam, 35. Mongolia, 36. Pakistan, 37. Palestine, 38. Timor Leste, 39. Macau, 40. Chinese Taipei, Myanmar, 42. Laos, Philippines.

THE SCHEDULE

Round 1: June 29 and July 3, 2011
Round 2: July 23 and July 28, 2011
Round 3: September 2, September 6, October 11, November 11, November 15, 2011 and February 29, 2012
Round 4: June 3, June 8, June 12, September 11, October 16, November 14, 2012, March 26, June 4, June 11, June 18, 2013
Round 5: September 6 and September 10, 2013
Round 6 (inter-continental playoff): October 15 and November 19, 2013

Uefa retains 2010 World Cup qualifying format for 2014

2011-03-21T21:30:00.000-07:00

Uefa will use the same format to decide which 13 European nations qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil as it employed for the 2010 tournament.

The same 53 European countries which played in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers will compete in nine groups, with the winners of each going to South America.

The eight best runners-up will be drawn in two-legged play-offs to determine the other four qualifying nations.

The preliminary draw for the 2014 World Cup is scheduled for 30 July in Brazil.

Europe will have its lowest share of teams at the World Cup since the inaugural event in 1930 when only four travelled to a 13-nation tournament in Uruguay.

At the 1994 World Cup in the United States, the last to feature 24 countries, 13 European teams played.

That number increased to 15 out of 32 teams four years later with 14 going through the qualifying process while France qualified automatically as hosts.

In 2002, defending champions France again qualified automatically, to ensure 15 European nations were present in Japan and South Korea.

However, Europe was reduced to 13 qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup with hosts Germany taking up a 14th spot.

Defending champions are no longer guaranteed a spot, so 2010 World Cup winners Spain will join 52 other nations who will be split into eight groups of six teams and one group of five.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the executive committee of European football's governing body.

Uefa has also approved recommendations on corruption and match fixing to "establish a network of integrity officers around Europe involving all national associations and on fostering collaboration with state authorities".

Meanwhile, Uefa secretary general Gianni Infantino reiterated that the Bosnian federation would be suspended from April if it did not cut its ethnic-based three-member presidency to one.

Uefa and world governing body Fifa have given the Bosnian federation until the end of March to do so or face suspension.

Ex-Im Bank announces financing for Brazilian FIFA-related projects

2011-03-21T21:27:00.001-07:00

By Xinhuanet

RIO DE JANEIRO, March 21 (Xinhua) -- President of the U.S. Export-Import Bank Fred Hochberg announced on Monday a financing of 1 billion U.S. dollars for Brazilian companies involved in projects for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. The money must be used to purchase products made by U.S. companies.

According to Hochberg, Brazil is one of nine countries the Bank considered priorities for investments, but also a country in which the Bank's operations evolve at a very slow pace.

Hochberg hoped the new financing serves as a beginning of a period of faster growth for Ex-Im Bank's operations in Brazil.

"This should be only the beginning, so that the financing to Brazilian companies reach a higher level," he said.

On Sunday, in a speech in Rio's Municipal theater, U.S. President Barack Obama said his country intends to help Brazil in the projects for the games.

"We need world-class infrastructures, which is why U.S. companies want to help you build and prepare this city for an Olympic success," he said.

Besides the financing for the Cup and the Summer Olympics, the Ex-Im Bank will release a 2 billion U.S. dollar credit to Brazil's state-controlled oil and gas giant Petrobras to purchase products from U.S. companies as well.

Asian Zone to play preliminary round for Brazil 2014

2011-03-19T23:49:00.000-07:00

By FIFA

Asia will begin the race to the FIFA World Cup 2014™. Ahead of the Preliminary Draw in Brazil on 30 July 2011, teams from the Asian continent will contest a preliminary round of matches. The draw for this first round takes place on 30 March 2011 at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur.

The first round will consist of seven home-and-away series, featuring the 14 lowest ranked teams in Asia. The winners of these series will then proceed to a second round.

The draw will take into account the new rankings in the Asian Confederation. These rankings are based on the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa finals as well as the Asian qualifying rounds for the main tournament. The final number of entries was confirmed by FIFA, whereby all teams entered the qualifiers save Bhutan and Guam, who declined the invitation, and Brunei Darussalam, who are still suspended.

Newly crowned Asian champions Japan are the top-ranked team, followed in second place by Korea Republic. Both these sides reached the Round of 16 of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.Australia and DPR Korea - the two other Asian teams that played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup - and 2010 FIFA World Cup Asian play-off participants Bahrain round out the top five.

Brunei DS, who are currently suspended by FIFA, are the only team not ranked among AFC’s 46 Member Associations.

Rankings for the FIFA World Cup 2014 Asian Qualifiers Round 1

1. Japan,
2. Korea Republic,
3. Australia,
4. DPR Korea,
5. Bahrain,
6. Saudi Arabia,
7. Iran,
8, Qatar,
9. Uzbekistan,
10. UAE,
11. Syria,
12. Oman,
13. Jordan,
14. Iraq,
15. Singapore,
16, China,
17, Kuwait,
18. Thailand,
19. Turkmenistan,
20. Lebanon,
21, Yemen,
22. Tajikistan,
23. Hong Kong,
24. Indonesia,
25. Kyrgyzstan,
26. Maldives,
27. India,
28. Malaysia,
29-30, Afghanistan, Cambodia,
31. Nepal,
32. Bangladesh,
33-34. Sri Lanka, Vietnam,
35. Mongolia,
36. Pakistan,
37. Palestine,
38. Timor Leste,
39. Macau,
40-41. Chinese Taipei, Myanmar,
42-43. The Philippines, Laos

Suspended: Brunei DS
Not participating: Bhutan, Guam.

Private sector to help ensure airports are ready for 2014 World Cup, says Brazilian president

2011-03-18T01:42:00.000-07:00

By The Canadian Press

SAO PAULO — Upgrades to Brazil's airports will be opened up to private investment to ensure they are completed in time for the 2014 World Cup, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said in an interview published Thursday.

Rousseff told the Valor Economico business newspaper that the government is getting ready to make "a strong intervention" to fix the nation's overcrowded airports.

"We will accept investments from the private sector that are adequate to the needed expansion plans," she said. "We don't have any bias on how to increase the investments in that area."

Rousseff said the government will allow the private sector to bid for contracts to try to speed up the expansion and renovation of the airports, one of the biggest challenges for the country preparing to host the World Cup for the first time since 1950.

The private sector funds would supplement the public investments already planned to get the airports ready, Rousseff said, adding that a civil aviation ministry will be created to oversee the country's civil aviation agency and the nation's airport authority.

The president acknowledged earlier this week that it won't be easy to get everything done ahead of the monthlong tournament four years from now, but said she is certain the event will be a success.

Rousseff said the infrastructure investments for the World Cup will reach nearly $20 billion, including about $3 billion in the airports that will handle the more than 600,000 visitors expected to travel to Brazil in 2014.

A recent report from a government watchdog group warned Brazil about the slow pace of improvements in the airports, and even FIFA has said airport infrastructure is a problem organizers must address.

There are concerns that problems with bidding processes and environmental licensing may cause delays in the upgrades. Most airports are already saturated thanks to a rapid increase in the number of passengers as the healthy Brazilian economy creates more travel opportunities for the nation's growing middle class.

Most of the investments are aimed at improving the airports' passenger capacity.

The World Cup will be played in 12 cities across Brazil, a large nation that has no adequate ground transportation in most parts of the country.

Brazil will also host the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has praised Rousseff's focus on aviation in a recent statement, but also called for "urgent progress" ahead of the World Cup and Olympics.

It said there is a need for "a quick follow-up with critical reforms to improve the industry's competitiveness."

Brazilian president: 2014 World Cup to generate 730,000 jobs

2011-03-16T01:24:00.000-07:00

By xinhuanet.com

RIO DE JANEIRO, March 15 (Xinhua) -- President Dilma Rousseff said Tuesday the 2014 FIFA World Cup, to be hosted by Brazil, will generate 730,000 new jobs in the country.

"The Cup will contribute to our development project, generating jobs and increasing workers' income. We estimate that 330,000 new formal jobs and 400,000 temporary posts will be generated," Rousseff said in her weekly column, published by several dailies in Brazil.

Rousseff also said that the World Cup will bring some 600,000 tourists to the country and boost investments in infrastructure.

"In the infrastructure sector, the investments will reach 33 billion reais (19.8 billion U.S. dollars), 68 percent of which funded by the federal government," she said, adding that those resources will be used to modernize ports and airports, and improve public security and healthcare structure.

Rousseff minimized the criticisms that many of the reforms required in the stadiums which will host Cup matches have yet to begin.

"During the Confederations Cup, which occurred a year before the South Africa World Cup, it was said that the country would not be able to finish the projects in time. But the Cup was a success," she said.

UEFA to decide format for 2014 World Cup qualifiers, as 53 teams chase 13 tickets to Brazil

2011-03-10T22:25:00.000-08:00

By The Associated Press (CP)

NYON, Switzerland — The qualifying path for European teams to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil will be discussed by UEFA's executive committee later this month.

World Cup organizer FIFA confirmed last week that Europe retains the same 13-nation qualification quota it had for the past two tournaments.

UEFA said Thursday that its ruling panel will consider the qualifiers format at a March 20-21 meeting in Paris.

Europe is likely to enter the same 53 countries which played in the 2010 World Cup preliminaries, when nine group winners gained direct entry to the finals in South Africa. The eight best runners-up were then drawn in home-and-away playoff ties to decide four remaining slots.

The preliminary draw for the 2014 World Cup finals, which will feature 32 teams, is scheduled July 30 in a Brazilian city yet to be decided.

Europe now has its lowest share of teams at the World Cup since the inaugural 1930 event, when four travelled to a 13-nation tournament in Uruguay.

Thirteen European teams played in the 1994 World Cup hosted by the United States which was the last with 24 countries.

Europe provided 15 of the 32 teams in 1998 and 2002 — 14 of which went through qualifying while France qualified automatically as the '98 hosts. It also qualified as defending champion four years later, when Japan and South Korea co-hosted. Defending champions are no longer guaranteed a place.

In 2006, Europe was reduced to 13 qualifiers but host Germany was a 14th UEFA representative.

UEFA's executive committee meets on the eve of its annual congress, where Michel Platini will be confirmed unopposed for a second four-year term as president. The role gives Platini status as a FIFA vice-president.

A further three of UEFA's eight delegates to FIFA's 24-man ruling body will be confirmed: Angel Maria Villar of Spain, Germany's Theo Zwanziger and Jim Boyce of Northern Ireland. Boyce takes a seat that is rotated among the four British football federations.

Northern Ireland is a candidate to host the 2012 UEFA Congress, UEFA said. Macedonia and Turkey are the other candidates in a poll of executive members.

FWCQ 2014 rankings announced

2011-03-08T02:22:00.000-08:00

By the-afc.com

Kuala Lumpur: AFC has announced the rankings for the FIFA World Cup 2014 Asian Qualifiers Round 1 draw that takes place on 30 March 2010 at AFC House.

The rankings are based on the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Finals as well as the Asian qualifying rounds for the main tournament. The final number of entries will be confirmed later by FIFA.

Newly crowned Asian champions Japan are the top-ranked team, followed in second place by fellow East Asians Korea Republic. Both the sides had reached the Round of 16 in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Australia and DPR Korea, the two other Asian teams which had played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and 2010 FIFA World Cup Asian play-off participants Bahrain round off the top five.

Brunei DS, who are suspended by FIFA, are the only team not ranked among AFC’s 46 Member Associations.

Rankings for the FIFA World Cup 2014 Asian Qualifiers Round 1

1. Japan, 2. Korea Republic, 3. Australia, 4. DPR Korea, 5. Bahrain, 6. Saudi Arabia, 7. Iran, 8, Qatar, 9. Uzbekistan, 10. UAE, 11. Syria, 12. Oman, 13. Jordan, 14. Iraq, 15. Singapore, 16, China, 17, Kuwait, 18. Thailand, 19. Turkmenistan, 20. Lebanon, 21, Yemen, 22. Tajikistan, 23. Hong Kong, 24. Indonesia, 25. Kyrgyzstan, 26. Maldives, 27. India, 28. Malaysia, 29-30, Afghanistan, Cambodia, 31. Nepal, 32. Bangladesh, 33-34. Sri Lanka, Vietnam, 35. Mongolia, 36. Pakistan, 37. Palestine, 38. Timor Leste, 39. Macau, 40-41. Chinese Taipei, Myanmar, 42-43. Bhutan, Guam, 44-45. The Philippines, Laos
Suspended-Brunei DS

Blazer still backing FIFA despite his criticism

2011-03-08T02:17:00.000-08:00

By Moneycontrol.com

FIFA executive committee member Chuck Blazer criticised his colleagues on world soocer's governing body last week but still believes its decision-making process is sound and reflects a worldwide consensus.

The portly 65-year-old American with the Santa Claus beard, a member of the powerful exco for the last 15 years, joined FIFA's critics after his colleagues refused to give his CONCACAF confederation an extra place at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Nevertheless, he told Reuters in an interview that while no major organisation can please everyone all the time, FIFA's "representative democracy" cannot be bettered.

Blazer was not slow to complain when he thought the exco got last week's decision wrong and quickly informed followers on his Twitter account of his chagrin at the outcome.

He was upset that the North and Central American and Caribbean countries will only have three finalists -- and possibly a fourth through the playoffs.

While CONCACAF are stuck with the same 3.5 places they had for last year's World Cup in South Africa, there will possibly be six South American countries at Brazil 2014, out of the 10 vying for places in the qualifiers, and five from Africa.

Last week Blazer described the exco decision not to change the allocation of slots "completely ludicrous," adding a criticism people often level at FIFA: "Everyone was protecting their own interests rather than doing what was right".

But he defended the world governing body to Reuters when he said: "In any group where you have different points of view, you will always have dissatisfaction with decisions that are taken.

"FIFA has to deal with the passions and interests of people... When it comes to football, your feeling is always based on passion. That's a great thing, but it also happens to make us the target of criticism when it comes down to it.

"Even my own criticism last week regarding CONCACAF's number of teams in the 2014 World Cup came from passion. But we are a representative democracy.

"There are 24 people from all around the world on the FIFA exco and we represent a lot of different points of view. But, as far as I am concerned, you cannot get better than a representative democracy."

IFAB structure

Blazer was talking after the annual meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the body responsible for formulating the laws of the game.

Formed in 1886, for many years it was a little known offshoot comprising the British associations and FIFA that quietly tinkered around with the laws.

It now attracts lots of media attention especially when debating issues like goal-line technology or five-man refereeing systems. Blazer, naturally, has an interesting view of IFAB.

"It is not an anachronism, but the problem with IFAB from my perspective is that there are times when all eight members are from Europe -- we had that a couple of years ago.

"There are four statutory members from the British associations. We had the president and the general secretary of FIFA, the president of UEFA and the president of the referees' committee and that gave us all eight from Europe.

"That was not very good for the rest of the world.

"For example, IFAB this year has sanctioned the further testing of the five-man referee system for Euro 2012 with the additional assistant referees behind the goal but it's a different environment in Europe than it is elsewhere.

"How do we train extra referees? How do we recruit them in the rest of the world?

"I think, in some ways, IFAB is too narrow a group but, as long as they don't assume any responsibility for the way the game is played but are responsible as the custodians of the laws of the game, then it's not the worst thing in the world."

Blazer, though, is pleased the experiment with goal-line technology is continuing for another year.

"I know the debate was closed and then reopened but we need to do whatever we can to make the World Cup and the major events the best we can.

"As we live in a technological world, the more time you give for technology to prove itself, the more opportunities there are for the right answer to come along, so I am not concerned about the fact there is another year of experiments.

"If we can find something to make the game better, so be it."

2014 World Cup seeing extra referees but not goal-line technology

2011-03-06T19:45:00.000-08:00

Source: Sportfeatures

The World Cup will not see goal-line technology when Brazil play host in 2014 but refereeing there is set to benefit from the additional assistants being trialled in Europe’s club competitions.

This was the likely timeline which emerged in South Wales when football's law-makers approved the extra officials for the finals of Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine . . . but offered companies promoting goal-line technology ‘only’ a further year to demonstration testing.

These were the most significant conclusion of the 125-year-old International Football Association Board at its annual meeting at Celtic Manor, South Wales, today.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter, confirming the board’s approval of additional assistants in 2012, said: “It promises a positive result for Euro 2012 and I would say, with a lot of optimism, that I’m looking forward to having additional officials at the 2014 World Cup finals.

“If it works at Euro 2012 then the board will say Yes and, in that case, there is no problem for the 2014 World Cup. But while I am very optimistic about additional referees I have to restrict my natural optimism on goal-line technology because the tests have not been conclusive.”

Platini project

The extra officials system – one behind each goal-line – was promoted intensively by UEFA president Michel Platini and is on long-term trial in both Champions League and Europa League. It found particular favour with Blatter who had long been on record as an opponent of technological assistance.

Two years ago the International Board took the ‘rival solution’ of goal-line technology off its agenda. This followed a number of inconclusive tests. After a storm at the 2010 World Cup, when Frank Lampard had a ‘phantom goal’ denied against Germany, Blatter agreed to revisit goal-line technology.

He said today: “After what happened so blatantly in the last World Cup – an immense error – we invited 13 different companies to present and, finally, last month, 10 of them were represented. We used a special assessment in the Swiss federal laboratories; the results were not totally conclusive but at least three of the 10 companies have a good chance to go forward.”

The second-phase testing, in match situations, is also likely to include Hawkeye – the Wimbledon tennis system - though it had declined the most recent Zurich opportunity. FIFA funded the testing but not development.

Goal-Line Technology May Be Used at 2014 Soccer World Cup, FIFA Says

2011-03-05T22:03:00.000-08:00

By Bloomberg

Goal-line technology may be used to adjudicate contentious calls at the 2014 World Cup if trials are successful, the president of soccer’s governing body said today.

Sepp Blatter, speaking at an annual meeting of the sport’s rule-making body, the International Football Association Board, in Newport, Wales, said trials by 10 companies had so far failed to meet criteria, which include being able to deliver a result to the referee within a second.

“If it works definitely, the board will say yes to the technology,” Blatter told a news conference. “If the board says yes,” then there should be no problem to have it in 2014, he said.

IFAB, which just a year ago turned its back on the idea of technology, was forced to revisit the issue after match officials failed to spot a valid goal by England’s Frank Lampard at the 2010 World Cup.

Last June, television replays showed Lampard’s shot clearly bounced over the line in Bloemfontein, South Africa. England went on to lose the game 4-1 to Germany.

Blatter told reporters two days later it would be “nonsense not to reopen the file on technology.”

Even if the technology is proven to work there’s no guarantee that it will be implemented. The eight members of the rule-making body will have to agree to adopting it.

“We are now in the position where they want to look at the technology in different environments and then we will make a decision in March next year,” said Alex Horne, chief executive of England’s Football Association. “That’s why next year’s meeting will be so important.”

Hawkeye Innovations

Hawkeye Innovations Ltd., a U.K. company which makes equipment used to review line calls in tennis, has twice been involved with trials for FIFA. It didn’t take part in February’s trials because the conditions didn’t simulate matches.

Munich-based Cairos Technologies AG has proposed the introduction of a microchip that could determine if a ball had crossed the goal line.

Blatter said new tests would be carried out later this year in matches, without specifying where and when. IFAB also agreed to extend the trial of using five officials at the 2012 European Championship in Poland and Ukraine. If the tests are successful there they may also be introduced at the World Cup.

IFAB banned the use of neck warmers, also known as snoods, in matches. They have become popular with players including Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez. The board also ruled that if players wear tights during games they must be the same color as their shorts.

FIFA/LOC Management Board meetings kick off

2011-03-05T21:52:00.000-08:00

By FIFA.com

The first FIFA/Local Organising Committee (LOC) Management Board meeting for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ took place today at the Home of FIFA in Zurich.

“This board meeting is an important forum for the preparation of the FIFA Confederations Cup and the FIFA World Cup, which will be our main focus for the next three years. It is very good to see the commitment and progress made by the Local Organising Committee,” said FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter, who opened the inaugural session.

The board consists of representatives of the senior management of FIFA and the LOC, led by LOC President Ricardo Teixeira and FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke.

The focus of the board is on operational aspects of the preparation of the tournaments and other competition-related events such as the Preliminary Draw on 30 July 2011. The board will meet every two to three months.

“With the São Paulo stadium contract finalised and all FIFA World Cup stadiums now confirmed, we can focus on the operational aspects of the tournament preparations with special attention to our first major event on Brazilian soil – the Preliminary Draw in less than four months,” explained the LOC President at the conclusion of the first board session.

FIFA to decide 2014 World Cup allocations next month

2011-02-20T00:23:00.000-08:00

By Kyodo News

TOKYO- Japan Football Association President Junji Ogura said Saturday that the allocations for the 2014 World Cup will be decided at next month’s FIFA executive committee meeting.

Ogura, an executive committee member of world soccer’s governing body, said the 32 places—minus one guaranteed for host Brazil—will be divvied up among the six confederations in Zurich on March 2 and 3.

The Asian Football Confederation had four-and-a-half places for the 2010 World Cup. Japan, South Korea, North Korea and Australia qualified for South Africa after Bahrain lost to Oceania’s New Zealand in a playoff.

Japan and South Korea reached the round of 16.

AFC President Mohammad bin Hammam said during a Kyodo News interview last month that Asia would not agree to anything less than the four-and-a-half places it has in Brazil.

Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Brasilia want International Broadcast Center in 2014 World Cup

2011-02-04T21:42:00.000-08:00

By The Associated Press (CP)

SAO PAULO — Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia and Sao Paulo are all bidding to accommodate the International Broadcast Center during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

The three cities turned in their projects to the local organizing committee this week and FIFA is expected to announce the winner by June.

Rio de Janeiro is set to host the World Cup final at Maracana stadium, while Sao Paulo and Brasilia — the nation's capital — are two of the cities vying for the opening match.

It will be the first World Cup in Brazil since 1950.

Blatter: Pro referees only at Brazil 2014

2011-01-05T20:35:00.000-08:00

watch free movies online find more info about brazil world cup 2014

Source From FIFA.com
FIFA.com: The year kicks off with the FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala. What do you make of the three nominees, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi and Xavi?
FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter: Last year was a World Cup year and it’s no surprise that two of the three candidates should play for world champions Spain. As for Argentina's Lionel Messi, no one can deny he’s an exceptional player. Spain’s Vicente del Bosque is also in there as one of the three nominees for coach of the year.

Brazil usually have a few candidates in the frame. Why do you think they’re missing this time around?
There are some Brazilians up for the FIFA/FIFpro World XI, but they’re mostly defenders. That’s a little bit of a surprise perhaps, but it’s just a reflection of Brazil’s approach at South Africa 2010. They played a European game based around a formidable defence comprising the likes of Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, Juan and Michel Bastos.

The three nominees for the FIFA Ballon d’Or are all relatively small in size. What do you think that tells us?
That anyone can play football and that you don’t necessarily have to be big and strong. That’s always been the case, though. Just look at strikers like Gerd Muller and Uwe Seeler, Diego Maradona or Jean-Pierre Papin, who weren’t very big players either.

South Africa 2010 is still fresh in the memory and now 2014 is looming on the horizon.
Yes. The World Cup will be taking place in a little over three years. The preliminary draw will be held on 30 July and there’s still a lot of work to be done in terms of infrastructures. There’s no time to waste.
Coaches are professional now and so are players, and there’s no reason why referees shouldn’t be either.
FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter

The next FIFA World Cup is being played in Brazil. Is it a case of football coming home?
I’m delighted the tournament’s going back to South America for the first time since 1978, when there were only 16 teams. Now there are 32 and the World Cup has taken on a whole new dimension since then. No matter where it is held, though, the World Cup is so big that our partners in both television and marketing will follow us anywhere.

You’ve talked before about the social role of the FIFA World Cup. What will that involve in Brazil exactly?
Our goal in Brazil is to create infrastructures in the provinces. A lot of the population live in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, but at the next World Cup we’ll be going further north and to Manaus in the state of Amazonia. It’s an emerging and very multicultural country with 200 million inhabitants, although there is still poverty as well. Nevertheless, I’ve no doubt the legacy of the World Cup will help in that respect too.

Brazil 2014 aside, the year ahead promises to be a busy one.
There are competitions in four different confederations in 2011: the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar, the Copa America in South America and the African Nations Championship. And then we have five FIFA World Cup competitions: the Women's World Cup, the U-17, U-20 and Beach Soccer World Cups and the Club World Cup. So we’re going to be seeing a lot of good football this year.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011™ is a major event on the calendar. What are you expecting from the competition?
I think it’s important it’s taking place in the heart of Europe, in a country where women’s football is strong. The women’s game has struggled to gain acceptance in financial terms. People don’t seem to have much faith in it, but Germany can change that by putting on a good tournament and, more importantly than anything, filling the stadiums. A crowd of 50,000 is expected for the Opening Match in Berlin, which is already a great achievement.

Why has women’s football failed to take off in some countries?
Young women have a lot of passion for the game. It’s a sport anyone can play, but when women reach a certain age or level they find there aren’t any professional leagues around, which makes it difficult for them to carry on playing. Technically, however, the game has improved a great deal. For example, the standard of play in the final of the U-17 Women’s World Cup between Japan and Korea Republic was very high.

A number of big issues will be tackled in the months ahead, some of them by the Task Force Football 2014. What is its role?
Its objective is to assess tournaments and the way in which the game is organised. Let me give you a few examples. At the moment three points are awarded for a win and one for a draw, which is something we can discuss and decide whether it’s a good thing or not. Is extra-time the only option we have when a game ends in a draw? And if we stick with extra-time, how should we end games? Is it worth taking another look at the golden goal? Some people like it, some people don’t. There are a lot of issues regarding tournaments we can look at and discuss.

What other topics will be coming up for debate?
The other big issue is the calendar. In my view, and this is something on which Michel Platini agrees, domestic championships are too long because there are too many teams and too many matches. Teams in leagues with 20 clubs play 38 games, on top of which they also have national cup competitions and league cups, etc. This also creates a conflict of interest between national teams and clubs, some of whom complain that their players come back tired or injured. That’s not the fault of the international calendar, however, and it’s a subject that ought to be discussed.

There has been a fair amount of criticism with regard to refereeing recently. What, in your opinion, are the next steps that need to be taken?
We have a very clear target in this respect, and that’s to have only professional referees officiating at the 2014 World Cup. That’s a target we have to reach. Coaches are professional now and so are players, and there’s no reason why referees shouldn’t be either. Some people say there’s not enough money to pay them, but there always seems to be plenty in the professional leagues.

Is the international calendar for youth players also up for discussion?
I think the calendar for youth tournaments should be brought into line with the international calendar. It’s the same principle. As for Olympic tournaments, we have a regulation that is valid until 2016, and that’s for teams to pick U-23 players and three over-age players if they wish. Those U-23 players should be released by their clubs.

Overdue: Brazil chooses venue for World Cup opener

2010-09-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

By Andrew Downie in São Paulo
First, the good news: after years of indecision, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has finally confirmed that the city of São Paulo will host the opening game of the 2014 World Cup. In a brand new stadium owned by Corinthians.

Now the bad news. The stadium isn’t built yet - and is unlikely to be ready by Fifa’s 2012 deadline.

Corinthians’ decision to build a new stadium came just days before it celebrated its 100th anniversary and was a coup for the club’s president Andrés Sanchez. Corinthians is the only one of São Paulo’s big four clubs not to own its own ground - a major sore point.

The stadium was chosen by the CBF and approved by Fifa ahead of São Paulo FC’s 75,000-seater Morumbi stadium, notwithstanding the fact that the head of the CBF, Ricardo Texeira, hadn’t even seen a design model of it.

That’s the way things are done at the CBF, but it also represents a massive gamble by Texeira, who, perhaps not coincidentally, is an ally of Sanchez and an enemy of São Paulo FC’s president.

One major question mark concerns the price. The new stadium is to be built by Odebrecht, one of Brazil’s biggest construction companies, and is slated to cost 350m reais ($199m), a little more than half of what São Paulo would have to spend to reform its existing ground.

Another issue is seating. The Corinthians stadium is designed to hold 48,000 spectators. Yet Fifa guidelines state that the stadium that hosts the opening match must seat 65,000. Sanchez said Corinthians’ stadium can be upgraded to meet that demand but that the club won’t finance the increase, which could cost up to 180m reais ($102m). The city and state authorities have said they won’t pay the difference either.

But perhaps the biggest question is time. Infrastructure experts say it takes 30 months to build a stadium from scratch. More time is needed beforehand to complete environmental impact reports, consult residents and deal with the almost inevitable legal challenges.

That means that even if building began tomorrow, the stadium wouldn’t be completed by the end of 2012, Fifa’s deadline, and there are no guarantees it will be better than what exists already.

So as with almost all of the 2014 World Cup’s organisation, there are still more questions than answers.

Corinthians stadium under construction in Sao Paulo may host 2014 WCup opener

2010-08-28T13:48:00.000-07:00

By The Associated Press (CP)

SAO PAULO — A stadium in Sao Paulo being built by Corinthians may host the opening game of the 2014 World Cup.
The Brazilian Football Confederation said in a statement released late Friday that its president Ricardo Teixeira, Sao Paulo state governor Alberto Goldman and Sao Paulo city mayor Gilberto Kassab discussed staging the opener at Corinthians' stadium.
The statement said Goldman and Kassab expressed their "willingness to provide all the support necessary to have the World Cup's opening game held in Sao Paulo."
Local media says Corinthians president Andres Sanchez is expected to make an official announcement next week during the commemorations of his team's 100th anniversary.
The new stadium has been designed with a 45,000-seat capacity, but Corinthians is extending it to 65,000 in order to comply with FIFA requirements. The new stadium is expected to be concluded by early 2013 at the latest.
Sao Paulo's huge Morumbi stadium was originally scheduled to host the opening game but was dropped from the World Cup because there were not enough financial guarantees for its renovation.

Rio Gunfight Sparks Brazil 2014 World Cup Security Concerns

2010-08-24T14:54:00.000-07:00

(WFI) Brazil 2014 World Cup organisers have offered reassurances to FIFA that urban violence will not threaten the safety of the tournament following a gunfight in Rio de Janeiro at the weekend.

Ten gunmen took 30 people hostage at a luxury beachside hotel, then exchanged fire with police for hours before surrendering.

Ricardo Teixeira, president of the Brazil 2014 organising committee, said he was confident in the efforts being undertaken by the State of Rio de Janeiro to combat urban violence.

In a statement on Monday, Teixeira said he had "the utmost confidence in the power of planning, prevention and combating violence that is being led by Governor Sérgio Cabral and his security secretary Jose Mariano Beltrame".

"I can assure the sports community that the host city of Rio de Janeiro in 2014 will have the climate of normality necessary during the World Cup," said Teixeira, who is also president of the Brazilian football confederation.

Rio is also staging the 2016 Olympics. IOC spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau told BBC Brazil that the Brazilian city had a history of safely hosting large events, and Saturday’s gunfight did not change that. Moreau said the IOC had full confidence in Brazil’s ability to host a safe Olympics, restating comments made by its evaluation commission when inspecting Rio’s candidacy last April.

Brazilian authorities launched an aggressive campaign last year to invade Rio’s slums, drive out drug gangs and leave behind a police presence. About 10 slums are now free of gangs, the Associated Press reported.

Brazilian police will today hold their first security simulation ahead of the 2014 World Cup.

Special police units will reportedly be brought together at Sao Paulo's Pacaembu stadium, home of Corinthians football team. The security drill will include testing of crime-fighting technology such as cameras and facial biometrics systems, according to a Xinhua report.

Brazil is staging the World Cup in 12 cities.

On Monday, Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva urged Sao Paulo authorities to revive talks with FIFA to find a way for the Morumbi Stadium to be part of the World Cup.

Earlier this year, Morumbi Stadium was dropped from Brazil's list of proposed host stadia due to lack of financial guarantees for renovations to meet FIFA requirements.

"I cannot imagine a World Cup in Brazil without Sao Paulo. After the elections we will sit down with the new governor, the new president and the minister Orlando Silvato to fix this," president Lula was quoted by Globoesporte. "I support a stadium in Sao Paulo."

Last month, Sao Paulo mayor Gilberto Kassab told INSIDER he hoped to persuade FIFA to back new plans to modernise Morumbi Stadium to ensure South America's largest city played a part in the Brazil 2014 World Cup.

"We are asking FIFA to realise Morumbi Stadium as a new stadium in Sao Paulo," Kassab told INSIDER in Johannesburg at the 2014 World Cup logo launch. "I am optimistic that FIFA is going to approve proposals of how Morumbi can be renovated."

A delegation from FIFA is expected to visit Brazil in September for a check-up on 2014 preparations when more will be revealed about the Sao Paulo stadium project.

Last month, Brazilian sports minister Orlando Silva hit back at criticisms over his country’s delayed preparations for the 2014 World Cup. In May, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke said he was “amazed” at the slow pace of change.

Silva said that FIFA would be “surprised” by Brazil’s preparations when it becomes more closely engaged with the 2014 organizers.

By INSIDER editor Mark Bisson

Renovation work begins at Maracana Stadium for 2014 World Cup in Rio

2010-08-24T14:51:00.000-07:00

By The Associated Press (CP)

RIO DE JANEIRO — Renovation at Maracana Stadium has officially begun for the 2014 World Cup.
Some sitting sections started being removed on Tuesday, kick-starting work to make the famed venue ready for football's biggest showcase in four years.
The stadium, which is expected to host the World Cup final, will not be immediately closed, but its capacity will be reduced during the renovation.
More than 80,000 fans packed the Maracana in a Brazilian league match between Fluminense and Vasco on Sunday.
The stadium, built for the 1950 World Cup., will likely be used in the 2013 Confederations Cup.

Brazil president warns of potential problems ahead of 2014 World Cup

2010-08-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

By Tales Azzoni (CP)

SAO PAULO — Brazil's president says preparations for the 2014 World Cup could be jeopardized if government officials and businessmen fail to work together in the coming years.
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said businessmen and those responsible for monitoring and executing the necessary infrastructure and stadium improvements must co-operate with each other to guarantee the country will be ready to host the tournament four years from now.
"We are going to have problems if we are not in agreement," Silva warned late Monday while meeting with members of the infrastructure sector in Sao Paulo.
Brazil needs significant upgrades to successfully host soccer's biggest showcase and many critics and even some government officials say the country needs to pick up the pace to get ready on time.
Brazil is expected to invest nearly US$20 billion in infrastructure to prepare for the World Cup, but bureaucracy — especially in bidding process and environmental licensing — may create obstacles and delay some of the necessary construction work.
Brazil has already missed a deadline to start renovating most of the 12 stadiums that will be used in the tournament. Sao Paulo, South America's largest city, is yet to present a project to replace Morumbi stadium after it was dropped because of a lack of financial guarantees.
Silva said "it would be irrational" not to have the tournament's opening match in Sao Paulo, but acknowledged that a decision on which venue would be presented to FIFA will not likely be made before Brazil's elections in October.
"Some of the (FIFA) demands are correct but some are exaggerated," said Silva, who will leave office at the end of the year. "But I think we will reach an agreement."
Brazil's Sports Minister, Orlando Silva, said FIFA officials will be in Brazil in September to inspect all venues and said it would be important for Sao Paulo to have a project in place by then.
"I hope Sao Paulo comes up with something, but I've virtually thrown (in) the towel," the minister said.
In addition to extensive improvements in infrastructure, Brazil will also have to overcome other challenges similar to the ones faced by South Africa — high crime rates, a huge disparity between rich and poor, and long distances between host cities.
On Tuesday, police underwent a series of practice drills — including anti-bomb actions — aimed at maintaining public safety inside stadiums.
Brazil will also host the Confederations Cup in 2013 and the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.
The Brazilian soccer federation on Monday sought to offer reassurances the 2014 tournament will be unaffected by urban violence after 30 people were held hostage at a luxury tourist hotel following an intense gunfight in Rio.
The gunfight made headlines across the world, but the federation said it was "confident" that local authorities will be able to quell the violence during the month-long event in 2014.

AFC Releases Format for 2014 FIFA WC Asian Qualifiers

2010-08-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

By BABUA BISWAS
In yet another development on Friday, AFC released the format for 2012 Olympic and 2014 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers. Thirty-five Asian Countries will fight for the three and half slots in the men’s Olympic Football tournament from February 2011. While for the 2014 FIFA WC Qualifiers, the format will be same as 2010 WC Qualifiers.
For the London Olympic to be held in July next year, Twenty two lowest rank teams will play a home and away match in Round One and the winners will join the thirteen higher rank teams for the Second Round matches. The second round match will also be home and away playoff. Twelve team emerging winners from the Second Round will be divided into three groups with four teams each, who will also play home and away format. All the group winners qualify for the Olympic. All the second placed team will play in a round robin format and the winner will take on CAF’s representative for a place in the Olympics.
First leg of the first round will be played on February 23, 2011, while the return leg will be played on March 9, 2011. The first leg of the Second round will be played on June 19, 2011, and return leg on June 23, 2011. The third round matches will be played on September 21, 2011, November 23, November 27, February 5, 2012, February 22 and March 14. The round robin matches between the second-placed teams will be played at a centralized venue from March 25 to 29, 2012.
For the FIFA 2014 qualifiers, at least 43 teams will vie for the four and a half slot. Two preliminary rounds will be played in home and away format which will narrow down the 43 or more teams to 20. In the Third Round, these 20 teams will be divided into Five Groups with Four teams each and will play home and away matches again. The winners and runners-up from each group will advance to the fourth round after playing in a home and away format.
Ten teams in this round will be divided into two groups of five to play home and away matches. Top two teams from each group confirms their ticket to Brazil while Third-best teams from Round 4 will play home and away in Round 5 and the winner will qualify for a Round 6 playoff against a team from another continent to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.

MATCH DAYS

Round 1
MD1: June 29, 2011
MD2: July 3, 2011

Round 2
MD1: July 23, 2011
MD2: July 28, 2011

Round 3
MD1: September 2, 2011
MD2: September 6, 2011
MD3: October 11, 2011
MD4: November 11, 2011
MD5: November 15, 2011
MD6: February 29, 2012

Round 4
MD1: June 3, 2012
MD2: June 8, 2012
MD3: June 12, 2012
MD4: September 11, 2012
MD5: October 16, 2012
MD6: November 14, 2012
MD7: March 26, 2013
MD8: June 4, 2013
MD9: June 11, 2013
MD10: June 18, 2013

Round 5
MD1: September 6, 2013
MD2: September 10, 2013

Round 6
MD1: October 15, 2013
MD2: November 19, 2013

Brazil faces some real issues in hosting the 2014 FIFA World Cup

2010-08-19T11:44:00.000-07:00

Posted By: Michael Anderson
Brazil is a country of vibrant colours and sounds. It is one of the biggest tourist attractions because of its beautiful beaches, its breathtaking landscapes and its fantastic music and dancing.
On the other hand, though, Brazil faces a lot of issues as well; prostitution is rife, child trafficking is a major issue, poverty is at high levels and there are numerous governmental hurdles to contend with. It seems that when the 2014 World Cup will be hosted in the country, a lot of infrastructure development will take place and a lot of money will be spent on revamping the major cities, but that will also bring with it the issue of the problems of the country increasing many folds. It is hoped that all these factors can be sorted out and a brilliant World Cup takes place.
The last time the World Cup was hosted in a developing country was in Mexico in 1986 and that showed just how beneficial a major event can be to the economy and people of a country. This year’s World Cup in South Africa had a similar effect on the country and its people. The increased tourism and economic benefits that were felt will help the country for many years to come. It is hoped that the same sort of effects will be felt in Brazil in four year’s time. However, the issue is that problems that currently plague the country will have to be addressed and not swept under the rug as so it often happens. It usually occurs that tourists get to see the beauty and revamped exterior of a country hosting the Cup but they fail to look at its rotting core.
At the moment, Brazil faces the major issue of revamping its stadiums for the upcoming tournament. They will have to spend a serious amount of money on upgrading the facilities if they are to be ready in time. The issue with upgrading is the fact that at the moment FIFA is not putting up the security money for the changes to be made. This will have to be sorted out between the organisers of the tournament and FIFA.
The biggest problem facing Brazil at the moment is one of child trafficking and prostitution. Prostitutes, in and around the big cities of Brazil, feel that they will be pushed even deeper underground than they already are today. With rising poverty levels and high inflation in the country, for the poor women of the slums sometimes prostitution is the only means of earning enough money to feed themselves once a day. What inadvertently will happen is that to clean up the streets, the organisers of the tournament and the government of Brazil will try to make the cities nice to look at for tourists. This will lead to serious human rights issues with prostitutes being neglected and poverty stricken.
Prostitution and child trafficking will sadly increase with an influx of tourists coming into the country for a major football tournament. The way it works in Brazil is that young women come to the big cities escaping poverty and end up in large cities such as Rio. Once there, they try to solicit or date foreign tourists who wine and dine them and if they are lucky, a marriage proposal follows and leads to a chance to leave Brazil for greener pastures in Europe. The problem with a large scale tournament taking place in the country is the fact that with an increased number of tourists, many who will be young men, prostitution will increase by a huge amount. Child trafficking to meet this extra demand of sex workers will also increase along with it because many people who like younger women will fuel the supply. It is a sad situation that the organisers and government will have to address, if they want to see a successful and prosperous tournament take place in four years time.
Hopefully, the next World Cup to take place will be just as interesting and successful as the one that happened this year in South Africa. If the issues that Brazil face can be worked out in time, people will be in for a real football treat.

Brazil to invest $18.7 bln in World Cup infrastructure

2010-08-19T11:40:00.000-07:00

source from English.news.cn
BRASILIA, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Brazil will invest 18.7 billion U.S. dollars in infrastructure for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Brazilian Minister of Sports Orlando Silva Jr. said on Wednesday.
Speaking on a tele-conference, Silva stated that these resources will fund 50 projects in 12 host cities. Nearly 78 percent of funding will be allocated by the public sector, with the remainder coming from private sector sources.
The projects discussed during the tele-conference included investments of 6.5 billion U.S. dollars to improve urban mobility, including the development of monorail lines, subways, light rail transit systems, transit terminals and other modes of transportation.
"We will work in a timely and transparent manner to prepare Brazil for the World Cup and for the future," said Silva.
Silva said: "We are focusing on sustainable development, which will not only result in a successful World Cup but also improve the country for the Brazilian people."
Silva also stressed that all planned stadiums will be completed in time for the 2014 World Cup, noting that construction has already started for the stadiums in Manaus, Cuiaba, Natal, Salvador, Belo Horizonte and Brasilia. The other six stadiums are currently under the bidding process.
In the hotel sector, the National Bank for Economic and Social Development has assigned 556 million dollars to finance new ventures or remodel hotels with better terms than the market.
To address the aviation demands posed by the mega-event, 3.1 billion dollars has been assigned to enhance 13 national airports. The federal government forecasts a 10 percent increase in traffic through Brazilian airports during the World Cup. Investment in ports will be 426 million U.S. dollars.
The federal government forecasts the 2014 World Cup to generate an additional 104 billion U.S. dollars in economic activities for Brazil.

Ten to watch for 2014

2010-08-12T13:10:00.000-07:00

news from FIFA
The internet and satellite television may have made Planet Football a smaller place, but the FIFA World Cup™ spotlight still burns with a particular intensity ensuring maximum exposure to those players who shine in its glare.

For some of the youngsters who caught the eye in South Africa, life may never be the same again. It is tempting to label them already as potential stars of Brazil 2014 though this would be tempting fate – if a week is a long time in football, then what about four years? Still it will be fascinating monitoring the progress that young guns like Thomas Muller, Andre Ayew and Giovani dos Santos make between now and 2014.
In some cases, there will be new doors opening post-South Africa and almost certainly there will be raised expectations – in the case of Muller, winner of the Hyundai Best Young Player award, those expectations will be sky-high as his thoughts start turning to the new season with his club side, Bayern Munich.
The Germany midfielder finished with not just the Best Young Player prize but also the adidas Golden Boot, having contributed five goals and three assists – not a bad way to end his breakthrough season as a top-flight footballer. Where many 20-year-olds are allowed to suffer ‘second season syndrome’ away from the spotlight, Muller will now have to continue his development back in the Bundesliga with all eyes on him.

Ozil attack
The same goes for his team-mate Mesut Ozil, who made a significant contribution to Germany’s attractive attacking football on display in South Africa. Twelve months after helping the Germany U-21s conquer Europe, his efforts in helping his country to third place have made him one of the continent’s hottest properties and he looks likely to be moving from Werder Bremen before the transfer window shuts.
A key figure in Ghana’s exciting run to the last eight was Andre Ayew, whose displays in an attacking midfield role earned him a place on the Best Young Player shortlist – he achieved an 85 per cent successful pass rate, one such ball releasing Asamoah Gyan for the last-16 winner against USA. The question now for the son of African icon Abedi Pele is whether he gets the chance to play for French title-holders Marseille this coming season or rather moves again, having spent the 2009/10 campaign on loan at Arles-Avignon.
Similar doubts surround Ghana forward Dominic Adiyiah who should be the attacking spearhead of the Black Stars’ team in Brazil four years from now. The eight-goal star of his country’s FIFA U-20 World Cup success last year, Adiyiah would have hit a winning goal against Uruguay in the quarter-finals but for Luis Suarez’s goal-line handball. It is not known yet whether he will begin his first full season in Italian football with AC Milan, or whether he will continue his education on loan elsewhere.

Mexican young guns
Where next is also a question on the mind of Giovani Dos Santos, who made such an impression for Mexico with his nimble footwork and ability to run at defenders in South Africa. The one-time Barcelona starlet ended up spending the second half of last term on loan at Galatasaray after struggling to impose himself at Tottenham Hotspur, the Premier League club he joined in 2008. It will be fascinating to see what comes next for the talented 21-year-old, just as it will be to see how his compatriot Javier Hernandez fares at his new English club, Manchester United. Mexican football fans will hope both can build on the promise they showed in South Africa given their importance to the Tricolor's future prospects.
There is another player to watch who did not actually feature for his country in South Africa, but the fact Joe Hart got no further than the England bench does not deter those who view him as the long-term answer to his country’s goalkeeping problem. Hart gave an impressive appearance in the pre-finals friendly against Japan and with David James turning 40 on 1 August and Rob Green’s reputation not helped by his high-profile error against USA, the 23-year-old looks well placed to capitalise, so long as he can build on his superb 2009/10 campaign with Birmingham City, now that he is back at Manchester City.
Of course, these are just a selection of the young guns hoping to enhance their reputations between now and Brazil 2014. From Javier Pastore, the Palermo-based playmaker of whom Argentina fans saw only glimpses in South Africa, to Chile’s exciting winger Alexis Sanchez, also based in Italy with Udinese; and from Spain winger Pedro, who capped his breakthrough season with Barcelona with a FIFA World Cup winners’ medal, to Toni Kroos, another bright young German with Bayern Munich, the list goes on.
And that is just the players who featured in South Africa. Brazilian fans could argue a case for Pato and Neymar, their own young guns, who did not feature in Dunga's 2010 FIFA World Cup team. Making predictions about the next world showpiece is evidently foolhardy but these young guns should be worth watching regardless.

Restaurants in Porto Alegre

2010-08-11T14:27:00.000-07:00

Al Nur
Arabic Food, Schedule: from 11h to 14h30 and from 18h30 to 23h30 (dailyt
Address: Avenida Protásio Alves, 616 - Rio Branco - Porto Alegre - Brazil

Balbeek
Arabic Food Schedule: from 11h30 to 14h (Thursday to Friday), from 11h30 to 15h (Saturday), from 18h30 to 23h30 (Tuesday to Sunday).
Address: Rua Dr. Timóteo, 272 - próximo à Cristóvão Colombo - Porto Alegre - RS - Brasil

Baumbach
German Food Schedule: from 11h30 to 14h (Monday to Friday), from 11h to 14h30 (Saturday), from 11h30 to 11h30 to 15h (Sunday), from 19h30 to 23h30 (Monday to Thursday ), from 19h30 to 24h (Friday to Saturday).
Address: Avenida Pará, 1324 - continuação da Rua Dr. Timóteo - Porto Alegre - RS - Brasil

Lubnnam
Arabic Food Schedule: from 11h30 to 14h (Thursday to Friday), from 11h to 15h (Saturday, Sunday and holidays ), from 18h30 to 23h30 (Tuesday to Sunday).
Address: Avenida Cristóvão Colombo, 727 - Floresta - Porto Alegre - RS - Brazil

Restaurants in Rio De Janeiro

2010-08-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

4 Estações
The restaurant is located on Barra da Tijuca nad has good views to Piedra da Gavea. It has romantic and cozy ambience, the perfect place for you. From time to time, there are events and could be reserved for particular events.
Address: Ilha da Coroa, 20 - Barra da Tijuca - Zona Oeste - RJ - Brazil

476 (Sea Food)
It was a fisher’s house that turned into a restaurant. The singular food is dishes that contain home-made seafood. The menu has prawns salads; the service is complete and Caldeirada of seafood is unique.
Address: Rua Barros Alarcão, 476 - Pedra de Guaratiba - RJ - Brazil

A Lisboeta (Portugal food)
It is traditional Portuguese restaurant with a lot of typical food of the region, quality attention.
Address: Rua Frei Caneca, 5 - Centro - RJ - Brazil

A Marisqueira (Portugal food)
It is an excellent restaurant, seafood and “calderadas” stands out and it is a must see.
Address: Rua Barata Ribeiro, 232 - Copacabana - Zona Sul - RJ - Brasil

Adega Carne-de-Sol do Peixoto
This traditional northeastern house is located in Da Tijuca neighborhood and offers to customers great proportions of this typical food. The specialty is “Carne de Sol”.
Address: Barão de Mesquita Street, 616 - Tijuca - Zona Norte - RJ - Brazil

Adega do Pimenta
Adega do Pimenta Restaurant specialized in German cuisine, open from Monday to Friday from 11:30 to 22:00 hours, Saturday from 11:30 to 20:00 and Sunday from 11:30 to 18:00 hours.
Address: R Alm Alexandrino, 296 - Sta Teresa - Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brasil

Adega do Valentin (Portugal food)
Inaugurated in 1985, Adega do Valentin offers the most traditional Portuguese dishes which contain fish, octopus, cod, prawns and meats.
Address: Rua da Passagem, 178 - Botafogo - Zona Sul - RJ - Brazil

Al Khayam (Arabian food)
Al khayan was inaugurated in 2001. Because of having a lot of people who work in the region, it was moved to the downtown. The house stands out by offering fast food and quality food.
Address: Rua do Ouvidor, 16 Praça XV - Centro - RJ - Brazil

Alpendre
Alpendre restaurant offers varied and typical Brazilian food. Its owners are a couple, she is mineira and he is from Ceara. Both made a menu where they mix the best of several Brazilian states.
Address: Estrada do Sacarrão, 897 - Vargem Grande - Zona Oeste - RJ - Brazil

Amir
Amir Restaurant is specialized in Arabian food. Open from Monday to Saturday from 11:00 at 23:00 hours.
Address: R Ronald de Carvalho, 55, loja C - Copacabana - Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brasil

Arab
Arab restaurant has different menu: Arabian, judaica, marroquinas and other eastern tastes. The house was inaugurated in 1996 in Ipanena neighborhood and is in Copacabana. Among its specialties are: pan pita (prepared at the moment)
Address: Avenida Atlântica, 1935 - Copacabana - Zona Sul - RJ - Brazil

Árabe da Gavea
Árabe da Gavea is an option for people who like good attention and eat some snacks with friends. It is easy to park and has an excellent atmosphere with pleasant people. It is worth of visiting it.
Address: Marquês de São Vicente Street, 52 - Gávea - Zona Sul - RJ - Brazil

Arde Pedra
Arde Pedra Restaurant is specializes in meats, and offers it digs of wines. Open from 12:00 to 24:00 hours.
Address: R Maria Quitéria, 46 - Ipanema - Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brasil

Bar Brasil
The ambiance and the restaurant are traditional. The frost beer and the kassler are incomparable. Taste the chocolate cake with nuts and whipped cream. Don’t worry, if you are in a hurry, because the dishes are prepared fast.
Address: Av. Mem de Sá, 90 - Centro - Rio de Janeiro - Brazil

Bar do Ernesto (German food)
It offers excellent German food, with well prepared dishes and good attention.
Address: Largo da Lapa, 41 Centro - RJ - Brasil

Barra Brasa
Specialized in meats, Barra Brasa Restaurant count with it digs of wines. Attention from 11:30 to 24:00 hours every day.
Address: Av Ayrton Senna, 2541 - Barra da Tijuca - Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brasil

Beco do Alemão
From its inauguration, thanks to Hans Hiedel, Beco do Alemao restaurant attends cariocas during more than 20 years in Barra de Tijuca neighborhood. The restaurant offers typical German food, but also has salads buffet.
Address: Avenida das Américas, 1600 Barra da Tijuca - Zona Oeste - RJ - Brazil

Carlota
Carlota Restaurant specialized in contemporary food. With creative recipes as Shrimp with risotto of ham of Parma, it follows the São Paulo's main house line.
Address: R Dias Ferreira, 64 - Leblon - Rio de Janeiro -RJ - Brasil

Churrascaria Majórica
Unlike to the rodízio system, this traditional steakhouse continues offering "a la carte" service. Highlight the "Ponta de picaña" and the "T-Bone steak". Plato a la milanesa is also exquisite. Also is available: meat, birds, shrimp and grilled fish.
Address: Rua Senador Vergueiro, 11/15 - Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brazil

Churrascaria Marius
With such abundance of salads, by several special accompanied dishes like Japanese and seafood. Great variety of meats including wild boar, alligator and frog, among others.
Address: Av. Atlântica 290-B, Leme - Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brazil

Esplanada Grill
Esplanada Grill is a comfortable restaurant specialized in meats, also offers it digs of wines Open from 12:00 to 24:00 hours.
Address: R Br da Torre, 600 - Ipanema - Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brasil

Giuseppe Grill
With comfortable atmosphere, Giuseppe Grill Restaurant is specialized in meats and is open from Monday to Friday at 12:00 to 22:00 hours.
Address: R da Quitanda, 49 - Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brasil

Intihuasi
This restaurant offers different dishes with the best of Peruvian food, considered one of the most delicious dishes of Latin America. The fish ceviche is a starter suggestion (pieces of fillet dish, with lemon)
Address: Rua Barão do Flamengo, 35 - Flamengo - Zona Sul - RJ - Brazil

Ipanema Mix by Bronze
With comfortable atmosphere Ipanema Mix by Bronze is specialized in contemporary cuisine. Open from Monday to Friday at 12:00 to 15:00 and at 20:00 to 1:00 hour, Saturday from 13:00 at 18:00 and at 20:00 to 2:00 hours and Sunday at 13:00 to 18:00 hours.
Address: R Br da Torre, 368 - Ipanema - Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brasil

Majórica
Our restaurant is specialized in meats and works from 12:00 to 24:00 hours.
Address: R Sen Vergueiro, 11/15 - Flamengo - Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brasil

Natraj (Indiana)
Natraj has the most typical food of Rio de Janeiro, with well seasoning that make delicious dishes. The seasoning is done bay the customers, since each one ha its own mix of tastes.
Address: Avenida General San Martin, 1219 - Leblon - Zona Sul - RJ - Brasil

Ponderox
Ponderox Restaurant specialized in meats, it counts with excellent wines and is open from 12:00 to 24:00 hours.
Address: Av das Américas, 7777 -R Design Barra- 3º p -B Tijuca- Rio de Janeiro-RJ-Brasil

Raajmahal
It is located in Botafogo neighborhood, inaugurated in 1983 and is the oldest Indian restaurant of Brazil. The ambiance is traditionally decorated according the country.
Address: Rua General Polidoro, 29 - Botafogo - Zona Sul - RJ - Brazil

Royal Grill
Royal Grill is a comfortable Restaurant specializes in meats, it counts with it digs of own wines and works from 12:00 to 24:00 hours.
Address: Av Ayrton Senna, 2150, bl G, lj A (C Shop) -B Tijuca- Rio de Janeiro- RJ- Brasil

Siri Mole & Cia.
Siri Mole & Co Restaurant is specialized in food from Bahia. Open on Monday from 18:00 to 24:00, Tuesday to Sunday from 12:00 at 24:00 hours.
Address: R Francisco Otaviano, 50 - Arpoador - Rio de janeiro - RJ - Brasil

Restaurants in Salvador

2010-08-11T13:56:00.000-07:00

Abassá
The restaurant ambiance is decorated with old furniture and pictures, is placed in a house of Villa de Arembepe. At night, the romantic ambiance of the mezzanine is appropriated for couples. The starter suggestion is the prawn with tapioca.
Address: Rua do Piruí ,34 - Praia do Piruí, Arembepe - Salvador - BA - Brazil

Agdá
The Agdá Restaurant is specialized in regional kitchen and has own parking. Its assists Monday from 11:30 to 16:00 and of Tuesday to Sunday of 11.30 at 23:30 hours.
Address: R Orlando Moscoso, 1/Av Ot Mangabeira - Praia dos Artistas- Salvador -BA- Brasil

Axego
The Axego Restaurant specializes in regional kitchen. Its assists from 12:00 to 24:00 hours.
Address: R João de Deus, 1, 1º - Pelourinho - Salvador - BA - Brasil

Babagula (Meat)
The restaurant of barbecued meat belong to porcao group has a comfortable bar with events room for executives and flat screen. The attention is fast and functions electronically. At weekend, the waiters attend you offering to 32 meat varieties.
Address: Avenida Octávio Mangabeira ,7689 – Praia do Corsário - Salvador - BA - Brazil

Baby Beef Grill
The special Meats, with cuts and exclusive seasonings, do of the kitchen a true gastronomic exposition.
Address: Centro de Convenções da Bahia, 1. piso - Jd. Armação - Savador - BA

Bargaço
The typical nor east food of Brazil is the strong of the house. Has the Moqueca of shrimp, the grill mixt of fish and the Moqueca mixt of badejo and lobster. The style of the restaurant is modern, and the decoration is made of wood and has a garden.
Address: Rua P, Quadra 43, lotes 18 e 19 - Jd. Armação – Savador - BA

Barravento
It was founded 40 years ago, and continues being a referent point. The privileged location, the view to the Farol de la Barra, makes this a crowded place at dusk. The menu consists of typical dishes, and some international specialties.
Address: Avenida Oceânica ,814 - Barra - Salvador - BA - Brazil

Bêco de Rosália
The menu consists of eleven pizza varieties and other food like soups and snacks. The pizza dough is original. We suggest you taste the pepperoni pizza with red pepper and muzarella cheese.
Address: Rua General Labatut ,137 - Barris - Salvador - BA - Brazil

Bella Napoli (Italian food)
It has a pleasant ambiance, good attention and well done dishes.
Address: Alameda das Espatódeas ,491 – Caminho das Arvores - BA - Brazil

Bistrô PortoSol (Australian- Hungarian)
The kitchen is overlooking the restaurant, is decorated with fifties films posters. The main specialty is ham with potatoes and spicy mashes apples. The menu also consists of vegetarian recipes like gulash of mushrooms.
Address: Rua César Zama ,51 - Porto da Barra - Barra - Salvador - BA - Brazil

Boi Preto (Meat)
The restaurant waiters will offer you risottos of prawns and fillet with mushrooms, and 20 kinds of meat. The novelty dishes are “french rack” of lamb and the exotic ostrich thighs with barbecue sauce.
Address: Avenida Octávio Mangabeira ,s/nº - Boca do Rio - Salvador - BA - Brazil

Califa (Árabe)
This place offers snacks and Arabian food, stands out in fast food in the shopping. The client can chose a fast food, prepared in the buffet, in the restaurant area; or chose á la carte inside it.
Address: Avenida Centenário ,2992 - Shopping Barra - Barra - Salvador - BA - Brazil

Cheiro de Pizza
The pizza has excellent service to clients. In the store in Pitaba, children have a games room. The menu consists of creating your own pizza recipes.
Address: Avenida Vasco da Gama ,s/nº - Dique do Tororó - Salvador - BA - Brazil

Chez Bernard
Traditional french restaurant, functions since 1963, then was opened once with modern installations.Its architectonic project makes it bigger and has a beautiful view to Bahia de Todos Santos.The main dish suggestion is the duck, one of the french special
Address: Rua Gamboa de Cima,11 – Bairro dos Aflitos - Salvador - BA - Brazil

Conventual (Portuguese)
It is a restaurant in a Carmelita convent of 1956. Its main dish mixes Portuguese contemporary and regional food.
Address: Alameda das Espatódeas 491 – Camino das Árvores - Salvador - BA - Brazil

De Comer
Specialized in regional kitchen, the De Comer Restaurant assists Thursday and Friday from 18:30 to 24:00,
Saturday of 12:00 to 24:00 and Sunday of 12:00 at 20:00 hours. Its also offers transportation to the near hotels.
Address: R Boa Vista, 49 - Itapuã - Salvador - BA - Brasil

Dona Chika-ká
The Dona Chika-ká Restaurant assists from Monday to Saturday from 18:00 to 1:00 hour. Their specialty is the regional kitchen.
Address: R J Castro Rabelo, 10 - Pelourinho - Salvador - BA - Brasil

Graccias a la Vida
It offers delicious food of Bahía/Brazilian, typical dishes.
Address: Loteamento Dourado - Salvador - BA - Brazil

Jardim das Delícias
The Jardim das Delícias Restaurant is specialized in regional kitchen and has pleasant atmosphere. Its assists from 12:00 to 24:00 hours and serves sarapatel, smoky meat, moqueca and cocada of green coconut among other things.
Address: R João de Deus, 12 - Pelourinho - Salvador - BA - Brasil

Kil's
The Kil's Restaurant is specialized in German cuisine. Its assists from Tuesday to Friday from 16:30 to 24:00, Saturday of 11:00 to 1:00 and Sunday of 11:00 at 20:00 hours.
Address: Av Iemanjá, 37/ Av Otávio Mangabeira - Boca do Rio - Salvador -BA- Brasil

Matsuri
The Matsuri Restaurant is specialized in Asian cuisine and possesses a dig of wines. With own parking, its assists from 12:00 to 24:00 hours.
Address: R Adelaide Fernandes da Costa - Costa Azul - Salvador - BA - Brasil

O Coliseu (Baiana food)
It is a beautiful place for enjoying, taste typical and international food, folkloric shows.
Address: Lgo Cruzeiro São Francisco, 9/ 13 - Pelourinho - Salvador - BA
Paraíso Tropical
The Paraíso Tropical Restaurant is specialized in regional food. Assists from 12:00 to 23:00 hours. Highlight for the moqueca and the caipira chicken.
Address: R Feira de Santana, 354 - Prq. Cruz Aguiar - Rio Vermelho -Salvador- BA - Brasil

Pereira
The balcony overlooking the sea with colorful large pillows is the most preferred area, considered the best place to taste snacks in the city, the prawns pie with catupiry cheese are crispy, with chop in its traditional size.
Address: Avenida Sete de Setembro, 3959 - Barra - Salvador - BA - Brazil

Piola (Pizzas)
It is in San Salvador city, the restaurant that introduces the modern way to eat pizza, located in a singular construction like a pyramid. You will taste pizza listening electronic music of dance floor.
Address: Rua Conselheiro Pedro Luís ,116 – Rio Vermelho - Salvador - BA - Brazil

Soho (Japonese food)
It offers varied menu, good food, well decorated ambiance, fast attention and wonderful view.
Address: Avenida Contorno,1010 - Bahia Marina - Comercio - Salvador - BA - Brazil
Trapiche Adelaide
The Trapiche Adelaide restaurant has very comfortable environment, dig of wines and own parking. It serves a delicious shrimp with damask sauce, almonds and pineapple
Address: Av Contorno/Pça dos Tupinambás, 2 - C Baixa - Comércio - Salvador - BA - Brasil

Viña del Mar
The Viña del Mar Restaurant serves varied food. It counts with dig of wines and own parking. Assists from Monday to Wednesday from 12 to 17:00, Thursday and Friday of 12 at 16:00 and of 19 at 24:00 hours, Saturday of 12 to 24:00 and Sunday of 12 at 17:00
Address: Av Contorno, 1010 - Bahia Marina - Comércio - Salvador - BA - Brasil

Yemanjá
The specialty of the Yemanjá restaurant is the moqueca: special highlights for the shrimp moquecas, fish and pan of shellfish of soft shell (siri-mole). Its assists from 11:30 to 24:00 hours.
Address: Av Otávio Mangabeira, 4655 - Praia de Jd de Armação - Salvador - BA - Brasil

Restaurants in Sao Paulo

2010-08-11T13:42:00.000-07:00

348 Parrilla Porteña
348 Buenos Aires Grill Restaurant is specialized in Argentinean cuisine, possesses own parking lot and it assists from Tuesday to Friday from 12:00 to 15:30 and of 19:00 at 24:00, Saturday of 12:00 to 24:00 and Sunday of 12:00 at 18:00 hours.
Address: R Com. Miguel Calfat, 348 - V Olímpia - São Paulo - SP - Brasil

Abu-Zuz
In spite of its countryside restaurant facade, only people who already tasted the dishes know that it offers excellent attention and delicious food and well seasoned.
Address: R. Miller, 622 - Brás - São Paulo - SP

Almanara
It is a traditional Arabian restaurant, strategically located in the downtown where it is possible to taste the original Arabian food.
Address: R. Basílio da Gama, 70 - Centro - São Paulo – SP

Amadeus
Restaurant Amadeus specialized in sea fruits, offers exquisite plates to good price and quality.
Address: R. Haddock Lobo 807 - São Paulo - SP – Brasil

América
América is a traditional restaurant, close to Paulista Avenue, offers good salads, buffet lunch and dishes with combined ingredients.
Address: Al. Santos, 957 Jardim Paulista - Zona Sul - São Paulo - SP - Brazil

Arábia
Arábia Restaurant, it is a specialized restaurant in Arabian food, like as the michui lamb and its famous Moroccan cuscuz, served on Saturdays. Come to us and also will be able to know our winter garden.
Address: R Haddock Lobo, 1397 - Cerqueira César - São Paulo - SP - Brasil

Arguile (Árabe)
It is the best place for people who love Arabian food, come to Arguile the food is really delicious, and the buffet and the prices are good. It is worth of being visited.
Address: Al. Santos, 1187 Cerqueira César - Zona Sul - São Paulo - SP - Brasil

Arnold's Naschbar
The Arnold' s Naschbar Restaurant specializes in German kitchen, with good service, attends from Tuesday to Friday of 18:00 to 22:00 hours, Saturday of 12:00 to 16:00 and of 18:00 to 23:00 hours and Sunday of 12:00 to 16:00 hours.
Address: R Pereira Leite, 98 - Sumarezinho - São Paulo - SP - Brasil

Arzi Restaurante e Buffet
It is the perfect place, if you want to enjoy an authentic Arabian food with good attention and excellent prices.
Address: R. Rubino de Oliveira, 155 - Brás - Zona Norte - São Paulo

Attallah (Arabian)
The “kibe” stuffed with nuts and mint is one of the best dishes in the local. The other options are also excellent and have reasonable prices.
Address: R. Domingos de Moraes, 86/90 - Paraíso - São Paulo

Baalbeck
Baalbeck Restaurant specializes in Arab cuisine. Works from Monday to Friday of in a wide schedule: of 8:00 to 21:00 hours and Saturday of 8:00 at 18:00 hours.
Address: Al Lorena, 1330 - Cerqueira César - São Paulo - SP - Brasil

Bierquelle
The Bierquelle Restaurant specializes themselves in German kitchen, one of their characteristics, is the elaboration of delicious stuffed, accompanied by a series of natural elements that do of its food a true pleasure.
Address: Av. Aratãs, 801 - Moema - São Paulo - SP - Brasil

Brasserie Victoria
Brasserie Victoria has as specialty the Arab cuisine and assists from Monday to Saturday from 11:30 to 23:00 hours and Sunday of 10:00 at 22:30 hours.
Address: Av Pres Juscelino Kubitschek, 545 - Itaim Bibi -São Paulo -SP- Brasil

Buenos Aires Classic
Buenos Aires Classic is a comfortable restaurant specialized in Argentinean cuisine. Attention Monday from 12:00 to 15:30, Tuesday to Saturday from 12 to 15:00 and from 19:30 to 1:00, Sunday from 12:00 to 17:00 and from 19:00 to 24:00 hours
Address: R Bandeira Paulista, 520 - Itaim Bibi - São Paulo - SP - Brasil

Café Arábia
It is a cozy place in Higienopolis neighborhood, it is possible to enjoy from Arabian food to a delicious coffee.
Address: Pça. Vilaboim, 73 Higienópolis - São Paulo

Casa Garabed
Casa Garabed Restaurant, specialized in Arab cuisine, it is known by its esfiha, elaborated in firewood oven. It assists from Tuesday to Sunday from 12:00 to 21:00 hours.
Address: R José Margarido, 216 - Santana - São Paulo - SP - Brasil

Die Meister Stube
The Die Meister Stube, restaurant of German kitchen, attends from Monday to Saturday of 12:00 to 24:00 hours and Sunday of 12:00 to 23:00 hours.
Address: R Br do Triunfo 1213 (Clube Kolpinghaus)(Campo Belo)-São Paulo-SP-Brasil

Dr Tchê La Parrilla de La Villa
Dr Tchê La Parrilla de La Villa Restaurant, specialized grill and Argentinean cuisine, roasts the meat before the client, and it has an incredible chimichurri. It works from Tuesday to Saturday of 12 at 15:00 and of 18 to 23:00 hours and Sunday of 12 at 1
Address: R França Pinto, 489 - V. Mariana - São Paulo - SP - Brasil

Espaço Arabe
Espaco Árabe restaurant is a big and cozy local, with good attention and different menus, opened esfihas, fried quibe and a combination of salads and mini “croutons” of Arabian bread.
Address: R. Oscar Freire, 168 Cerqueira César - Zona Sul - São Paulo - SP - Brazil

Estación Sur
Specialized in Argentinean cuisine, the Estación Sur Restaurant has comfortable facilities and it assists from Tuesday to Friday from 12:00 to 15:00 hours and of 19:00 at 24:00 hours, Saturday of 12:00 to 24:00 hours and Sunday of 12:00 at 17:00 hours.
Address: Al Joaquim Eugênio de Lima, 1396 - Jardim Paulista - São Paulo - SP - Brasil

Farabbud
The specialty of the Farabbud Restaurant is the Arab cuisine. It possesses own parking lot and assists from Monday to Thursday from 12:00 to 21:30; Friday and Saturday of 12:00 at 22:00 hours; and Sunday of 12:00 at 17:00 hours.
Address: Al dos Anapurus, 1253 - Moema - São Paulo - SP- Brasil

Folha de Uva
Folha de Uva Restaurant specializes in Arab cuisine. For your comfort, it possesses own parking lot and assists from Tuesday to Saturday from 11:00 to 23:30 hours and Sunday of 11:00 at 17:00 hours.
Address: R Bela Cintra, 1435 - Cerqueira César - São Paulo - SP - Brasil

Gabriel
It has good location, delicious and Arabian tastes.
Address: Al. Gabriel Monteiro da Silva 1424 - Jardim América - São Paulo

Halim (Árabe)
It is a simple restaurant with good food, excellent prices. There are not very common dishes as sirio sausage of lamb and the delicious Uzi.
Address: R. Dr Rafael de Barros, 64 Paraíso - São Paulo

Hooters
It offers a unique menu, a travel to American thematic snacks, in the center of Chácara Santo Antonio. It is worth of being visited because of the waitress charm attention.
Address: Rua José Guerra, 111 Chácara Santo Antônio - Zona Sul - São Paulo - SP - Brazil

Hot Hamburgueria
It is a very good bar, has excellent infrastructure, good location and so popular, where people will feel comfortable.
Address: Av. Pres Juscelino Kubstichek, 201 - Itaim Bibi - Zona Sul - São Paulo - Brazil

Jaber
The “kibe” stuffed with nuts and mint is one of the best dishes in the local. The other options are also excellent and have reasonable prices.
Address: R. Domingos de Moraes, 86/90 - Paraíso - São Paulo
Jacob Restaurant
It is in the downtown, offers quality, tradition, attention and the pleasure to discover the real taste of Arabian food.
Address: R. 25 de março 976, casa 8 – Centro - São Paulo

Jucalemão
It has a cozy atmosphere, German specialty with excellent attention and good prices.
Address: Rua: Min. José Gallotti, 134 Vila Cordeiro - Zona Sul - São Paulo - SP - Brazil

Kebab Salonu
It is located in the downtown, where you will appreciate the authentic Arabian food.
Address: R. Augusta, 1416 - Consolação - São Paulo

Restaurants in Recife

2010-08-11T13:28:00.000-07:00

Leite
The name Leite also means "milk" in Portuguese, but the restaurant was named after its founder, Armando Manoel Leite da França; mr. Leite, a Portuguese immigrant, established a small kioske back in 1882, which changed ownership a few times and evolved to become the restaurant today.
over these 124 years, Leite has been a meeting point of the important persons of Recife and Pernambuco; among the important visitors, one can mention Orson Welles and Jean Paul Sartre.
Suggested dish: giant shrimp grilled on the butter. A regional desert called cartola (a banana topped with a slice of cheese, baked with sugar and cinnamon) is a must.
Address: Praça Joaquim Nabuco, 147, Santo Antônio, 3224-7977 (180 seats).
Opening hours: Sun - Fri: 11:30am-4pm.
Established in 1882.

Oficina do Sabor
The chef, César Santos, was elected Chef of the Year 2005 in Pernambuco.
César combines seafood, meat and regional ingredients in his recipes. A suggested dish is Camarão no Forró (shrimp in forró): shrimp with pepper, mustard, mint and a sauce of mango, passion fruit and coconut.
Address: Rua do Amparo, 335, Olinda, 3429-3331 (120 seats).
Opening hours: Tue - Thu: noon-4pm and 6pm-0am; Sat: noon-1am; Sun: noon-5pm.
Established in 1992.
Other regional cuisine restaurants.

Porcão
High quality ingredients and a well prepared staff. Porcão has also branches in Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Belo Horizonte and Miami. Besides loads of meat, customers may also help themselves in a buffet of salads, seafood and sushi.
The restaurant offers pick up service at the major hotels in Recife.
Address: Avenida Engenheiro Domingos Ferreira, 4215, Boa Viagem, 3465-3999 (260 seats).
Opening hours: Tue - Thu: noon-0:30am; Fri - Sat: noon-last client; Sun: noon-0:30am.
Established in 1989.
Other churrasco restaurants.

Bargaço
Bargaço is specialized in fish and seafood prepared the Bahia way: the moquecas (pieces of fish or shrimp stewed with vegetables and coconut milk) are simply delicious. Expect queues on weekends.
Address: Avenida Boa Viagem, 670, Boa Viagem, 3465-1847 (150 seats).
Opening hours: Sun - Thu: noon-0am; Fri - Sat: noon-1am.
Established in 1990.
Other fish and seafood restaurants.

Quina do Futuro
The menu lists 130 options. The chef Shigeru Matsumoto created some sushis which combine traditional Japanese fish and regional ingredients.
Address: Rua Xavier Marques, 134, Aflitos, 3241-9589 (114 seats).
Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 11:30am-3pm and 6pm-0am; Fri: 11:30am-3pm and 6pm-1am; Sat: noon-3:30pm and 6pm-1am.
Established in 1986.
Other Japanese restaurants in Recife.

Chez Georges
The Swiss chef George Trevoz is another one to use regional ingredients to improve his original dishes. Also, the decoration of the restaurant is composed of handicrafts coming from several parts of Pernambuco (the pieces are for sale).
Address: Avenida Boa Viagem, 1906, Beach Class, Boa Viagem, 3326-1879 (130 seats).
Opening hours: Breakfast: 6am-10am, everyday; Lunch: 12:30pm-15:30pm, everyday; Dinner: Sun-Thu: 7pm-0am; Fri-Sat: 7pm-1am.
Established in 2003.

Buongustaio
All the pasta is prepared in house, and kept in olive oil until being cooked.
There are some fast-food Buongustaio in the major shopping centers, but the variety and quality of dishes is not the same as in the main restaurant.
Address: Avenida Engenheiro Domingos Ferreira, 467, Boa Viagem, 3327-5001 (136 seats).
Opening hours: Lunch: Wed - Fri: noon-3pm; Sun: noon-4pm; Dinner: Mon - Wed: 7pm-0am; Thu - Sat: 7pm-1am.
Established in 1989.
Other Italian restaurants.

Tomaselli
The cuisine is commanded by chef Mario Tomaselli; to guarantee freshness, he grows some ingredients at the backyard of the restaurant. Two restaurants in Recife; the house in Boa Viagem has piano music from Tuesday to Saturday.
Address 1: Rua Conselheiro Portela, 536, Espinheiro, 3427-3710 (185 seats).
Address 2: Rua Frei Leandro, 50, Boa Viagem, 3326-2604 (90 seats).
Opening hours: Sun - Thu (closed on Mondays): 6pm-0am; Fri - Sat: 6pm-1am.
Established in 1994.

Chinatown
There are five branches of Chinatown in Recife, and other nine branches in the neighbour cities and States.
The restaurant offers dishes from several regions of China.
Address (main restaurant): Rua dos Navegantes, 1213, Boa Viagem, 3465-1159 (60 seats).
Opening hours: Mon - Sat: noon-3pm and 6:30pm-11pm; Sun: noon-11pm.
Established in 1978.
Other Chinese restaurants in Recife.

Tasca
Tasca is the name of the small, cozy restaurants which exist in Portugal.
Several codfish options. The decoration reminds of Portugal.
Address: Rua Dom José Lopes, 165, Boa Viagem, 3326-6309 (64 seats).
Opening hours: Closed Mondays. Tue - Wed: 6:30pm-0am. Thu: 6:30pm-0:30am. Fri - Sat: 6:30pm-2am.
Established in 1980.

Famiglia Giuliano
The restaurant building is a replica of a medieval castle.
Famiglia is an Italian restaurant, but on Wednesdays and Saturdays they serve a buffet of feijoada, considered by Veja the best in Recife. The several pork parts are kept in separated clay pots, and customers take only what they like.
Address: Avenida Engenheiro Domingos Ferreira, 3980, Boa Viagem, 3465-9922 (270 seats).
Opening hours: 11:30am-1am, everyday.
Established in 1988.

Restaurants in Natal

2010-08-11T13:10:00.000-07:00

Tábua de Carne
Av. Eng. Roberto Freire, 3241
Ponta Negra - Phone 3642-1236

Farofa D'Agua
Av. Eng. Roberto Freire, 8353
Update 2006. This restaurant re-opened in Ponta Negra. We are planning to visit it and post a report.
Notice: one of the most popular restaurants in Natal, Farofa D´água closed doors late 2004. At the same place, there is now a churrasco place, called Churrascaria Pantanal. Check out the section about Brazilian food

Mangai
The decoration is inspired in a country side house: big wooden tables (which you will share with strangers at busy hours), clay pots, staff dressed in tipical clothes, several objects hanging off the ceiling.
Av. Amintas Barros, 2593
Lagoa Nova - Phone 206-3344

Talher
Av. Afonso Pena, 892
Tirol - Phone 211-4229

Farol Bar e Restaurante
This place is close to the sea; depending on the tide level, the waves break against the rocks, and you can feel the drops wetting your clothes.
Av. Gov. Silvio Pedrosa, 105
Areia Preta - Phone 202-2005

Sabor Regional
Rua Fabricio Pedrosa, 45
Praia dos Artistas - Phone 202-4407

Terere

Rota do Sol, 2316
Ponta Negra - Phone 3219-4081
All you can eat, churrasco. The best of this kind in Natal.
Prices in Dec 2003 were about R$29 per adult and R$15 per child up to 10 years old; drinks and deserts are not included. Price includes a help-yourself buffet with a good selection of salads and vegetables, and good churrasco.

Churrascaria Pantanal
Av. Eng. Roberto Freire, 8353
Decoration is a little rustic, but the quality is OK, and prices are hard to beat: if you want to include picanha, price is R$17 per person (January 2005); if you can do without picanha, price is R$12 per person (children up to 10 pay half price). Given the large variety of choices, one shouldn´t miss the picanha.

Picanha Bar & Cia
Av. Praia de Ponta Negra, 8876 - near Praia Shopping
Specialty is picanha. They serve also cheaper executive meals during the week days.
Good, not expensive place. A meal for a small family (2+2), including drinks (beer and cokes) goes for about R$ 50.
The owner seems to be an appreciator of picanha himself. The meat is prepared in skews; the meat is slice on your table, then returns to the fire (keepts it warm); you can either choose a pre-selected set of garnishments (rice, beans, french fries, onion) or orther each one separately.

Bari Palesi
Av. Engenheiro Roberto Freire, 2963
Best feijoada in town.
Capim Macio (across the street from shopping center Cidade Jardim)
Feijoada everyday. Pay a fixed price (around US$5) and eat as much as you can. The pieces (beans, sausage, ears, etc) are in different pots, you take only what you like.

Manary Restaurant
Located inside the Manary Hotel.
The feijoada is advertised as specialty, but didn't impress us much. There seem to be good options of fish and seafood, though.

Mina D'Água.
Restaurante Mineiro: a restaurant serving food from the State of Minas Gerais.
Natal has very few mineiro restaurants; but even if there were many more, it would be difficult to beat this one.

Moqueca Capixaba
Av. Governador Silvio Pedrosa, 266
Areia Preta
A board outside says they have 42 different sea-food options. The name means "moqueca from the state of Espirito Santo", which is prepared with different condiments than the original version from Bahia.

Dunas Shopping.
This is a shopping center in Ponta Negra, a bit distant of the tourist path; this means that food here is much cheaper. Read our report about the restaurants in the Dunas Shopping.

Cuxá
Av. Sen. Salgado Filho, 1773
Lagoa Nova - Phone 206 - 6266
This restaurant is inside Hotel Residence, open to the public.
Although they advertise themselves as sea food restaurant, they have a varied international cuisine. Of particular interest is the feijoada on Saturdays.

Casablanca

Av. Eng. Roberto Freire, 4
Ponta Negra - Phone 3219-3551

Don Vincenzo
Av. Erivan Franca, 3318
Ponta Negra - Phone 3219-2667

Famiglia Reis Magos
Av. Engenheiro Roberto Freire, 1482 - Capim Macio
Phone 3221-4263
Serving all kind of Italian food. Good selection of wines. They also have a buffet service with cheese, salami, pickles, etc.
Pizzas are particularly cheap, if compared to other pizzeries in Natal.

Cipó Brasil
Two restaurants: one at the Ponta Negra beach and other near Albergue Lua Cheia (also in Ponta Negra)
One of the best pizzas in Natal. Notice: pizzas are small (there is only one size, which they call "big", but barely enough for a small family of two adults and two children) and thin (you can ask the waiter to have them a bit thicker) and expensive (compared to other places).

Mangiatore
Av. Praia de Genipabu, 2101 (street beside Praia Shopping)
Ponta Negra - Phone 3219-4892

Only Pizza
During lunch, Only Pizza offers one of the best self service menu in Ponta Negra; price is above average of other self service restaurants, but quality is much better.
Also, Only Pizza offers delivery service, good option if you are in Ponta Negra or Via Costeira.
Av. Eng. Roberto Freire, 5896
Ponta Negra - Phone 3219-4500

Piazzale Italia
R. Deputado Antonio Florencio de Queiroz, 12 (Rota do Sol)
Very easy to miss the entrance. This restaurant is right beside Terere. Pizza is good.
Ponta Negra - Phone 3236-2697

Tiberio
#1 Av. Eng. Roberto Freire, 9102
Ponta Negra - Phone 3219-0012
#2 Av. Rodrigues Alves, 433
Petropolis - Phone 3219-3551

Bella Napoli
Av. Hermes da Fonseca, 960
Tirol - Phone 3222-9964

Pulcinella
Av. Praia de Ponta Negra, 8908 - near Praia Shopping
Ponta Negra - Phone 3236-3688
They claim to be the only pizzerie in Natal which makes pizzas the Napolitan way. I was not particularly impressed with the pizzas, but it was OK.

Buongustaio
Buongustaio especializes in high quality pasta, made with quality (imported from Italy) ingredients.
There is also a fast food shop at Natal Shopping, with more limited choices.
Av. Afonso Pena, 395
Petropolis - Phone 3202 - 1143

Restaurants in Manaus

2010-08-11T12:54:00.000-07:00

Barbacoa
It mostly looks for the special cuts of meat, the t-bone, prime rib, lamb ribs and picaña baby. It is possible to combine among meats to the grill with the buffet of salads that has forty options.
Address: Avenida Djalma Batista, 1661 - Shopping Millenium - Manaus AM - Brazil

Bernardino's
Address: Rua Pará, 555 - Bairro Vieiralves - Manaus -AM - Brazil

Bistrô Ananã
Among the main dishes, the newest inventions are the duck cannelloni with sauce tapereba and the pirarucu hamburger with sauce of butter accompanied by a trio of potatoes and uarini flour.
Address: Travessa Padre Ghisland, 132 - Centro - Manaus - MA - Brasil

Shin Suzuran
The chef creates dishes with native products of Amazonian, as the Vitoria-regia (fried tucunare with leaves of algae and ginger). The main course of the house is those combined of sushi and sashimi served in wooden enormous boats.
Address: Avenida Djalma Batista, 3694 - Bairro Parque 10 - Manaus Am - Brazil

Távola Redonda
For the second consecutive year, the pizzeria is considered the best of the city. There are three available ovens that roast twelve pizzas at the same time, in approximately three minutes. They are 150 pizzas made per day.
Address: Avenida André Araújo, 1603 - Bairro Aleixo - Manaus - AM - Brazil

Waku Sese
Açai continues being the most preferred fruit and it is served with diverse ingredients, among them the granola, banana, guarana syrup, sugar moraine or organic. They are 19 versions for the tapioquinha between sweet and salted.
Address: Rua Rio Purus, 260 - Bairro Adrianópolis - Mauas - AM - Brazil

Restaurants in Fortaleza

2010-08-11T12:46:00.000-07:00

A Tasca do Marques
The traditional bolinho of cod is a good starter. There are also Portuguese sausage with black olives and Portuguese bread. Then, the suggestion is the fried seafood (octopus, prawns, lobsters and fish) with caper sausage.
Address: Rua dos Tabajaras ,429 - casa 2 - Fortaleza - CE - Brazil

Ai Sassi
The peixada d´icarema consists on seafood cooked in special sausage and is served with white rice and soute potato. But the pizzas of fine pastry baked in the wood-fired oven stand out among the specialties.
Address: Rua João Cordeiro ,44 - Fortaleza - CE - Brazil

Alfredo, o Rei da peixada
The restaurant has fifteen years of service, in 2008, one of the reasons to attract to a lot of Brazilian and foreign tourists the whole year for tasting its traditional peixada. Its menu contains varieties of seafood.
Address: Avenida Beira Mar ,4616 - Fortaleza - CE - Brazil

Alpendre da Villa
The snacks suggestion is the filet with potatoes. The "carne de sol" in butter is served with slices of onions and baiao de dois, yucca and pazoca, is one of the most preferred dishes.
Address: Rua Armando Monteiro ,555 - Fortaleza - CE - Brazil

Arabian Grill
It offers sandwiches in Syrian bread, quibes, tabuas, charutis and tabule. Don´t lost the opportunity to eat the traditional Arabian esfihas and the Arabian tabua that it is served with caftas, two Syrian breads, tabule and pasta of grao de bico, aubergin
Address: Av. Washington Soares ,85 - loja 341, Shopping Iguatemi - Fortaleza - CE - Brazil

Cantinho do Faustino
Simple environment, excellent service, creative recipies made of regional ingredients. Kid with brocoli rice, Prawn moqueca and lobster with dendé farofa(tapioca flour with dendé). Open: Tue to Fri since 12h-15h, 19h- 24h, Sat 12h-13h, Sundays 11h-16h.
Address: R. Delmiro Gouveia 1520, Varjota - Fortaleza - Ceara- Brazil

Cemoara Frutos do Mar
Besides the famous moquecas that are prepared according the traditional baiana recipe, the prawn in flambé coconut cooked with coconut milk and fine herbes, is served in the same coconut with creamed potatoes and marmalade of acerola.
Address: Rua Joaquim Nabuco ,166 - Hotel Mercure Meireles - Fortaleza - CE - Brazil

Colher de Pau
Meet speciality, “Carne de sol” fried in butterand served by baiao-de-dois(green beans, rice, cream, and curdle chessee cooked toguether), Lamb-rice and cearense fish other tasty suggestions. Attention: 11:00 to 24:00.
Address: R. Frederico Borges 204, Varjota - Fortaleza - Ceará - Brazil

Le Diner
In the main dishes of the menu, the most traditional dish is the crunchy duck with ginger and colorful rice; this is tasted by the oldest clients. Other suggestion is the pear cooked with honey and cream of mint, and the handmade ice cream.
Address: Avenida Santos Dumont ,3636 - Fortaleza - CE - Brasil

Le Parisien
The chef recommends starting to eat the sauté mussels; then, the duck with sausage of orange juice coated with caramel and risotto of parmesan cheese.
Address: Avenida Júlio Abreu ,131 - Fortaleza - CE - Brazil

Marcel (Hotel Holiday Inn)
Paulisanta house subsidiary famous by its suflés and the classic line menu, the specialities fish and sea fruits as the grilled cooked with butter, garlic and fine herbs.Attentionn: Mon. to Fri. since 12h-14h30, Sat. since 19h-01h and Sun. since 12h-16h.
Address: Raimundo Girao 800, Praia de Iracema - Fortaleza - Ceará - Brazil

Mucuripe Grill
The feijoada of the hotel is famous, includes twenty meats and other delights, among the forty kinds of salads and cheeses. The house adds handmade pastries and risottos to its menu.
Address: Avenida Beira Mar ,3980 - Fortaleza - CE - Brasil

Murano Grill
Its menu contains "bife de chorizo", ojo de, bife de tira, picaña and lamb. They are served with what the client chooses. The suggestions are the biro-biro rice, the spaghetti with garlic, and the risotto of fungi.
Address: Rua Desembargador Moreira ,1763 - Fortaleza - CE - Brazil

Nostradamus (Flat Parthenon Meireles)
Sophisticated environment and a special menu with a contemporary touch. Duck Anatthigh with potatoes cooked in pisstachio nut juice, lightly fried prawn cooked in honey juice and risoto de rúcula oil. Attention Mondays to Saturday since 19:00 to 24:00.
Address: R. Joaquim Nabuco 166, Meireles - Fortaleza - Ceara- Brazil

Restaurants in Curitiba

2010-08-11T12:34:00.000-07:00

A Torta Bistrô
It is only one of the modifications introduced by the new owner. The executive buffet includes twelve salads, fifteen hot dishes, two kinds of meat and a fish option, and several sauces, as the foie gras.
Address: Rua Padre Chagas ,217 - Moinho de Vento - Curitiba - PR - Brazil

Al Dente
One of the starter options is the caprese salad, with tomatoes, mozzarella, oregano and olive oil. Among the main dishes are the spaghetti al dente covered by vodka sausage, mushrooms and cream for two persons.
Address: Rua Mata Bacelar ,210 - Auxiliadora - Curitiba - Brazil

Amêndoa
Among the novelties, the suggestion is the salad with quinua real na morango, with pears, smoked breast, raisins and chestnuts. The jelly role of carrot is also preferred, broccolis, cheeses, apple pies and so on.
Address: Rua Hilário Ribeiro ,290 - Moinho de Vento - Curitiba - PR - Brasil

Armazém Santo Antonio
The ranch ambiance is harmoniously combined with the menu. Taste the main course, the spaghetti di raul with prawns, tomatoes, seeds and herbs. Other suggestion is the picadito paulista.

Atelier de Massas
For starting, it is suggested a visit to the cold buffet, they are nearly one hundred items, as cheese, seafood, canned food and sandwiches. The main dish is the cansonsei a dos santos, stuffed with vegetables and sausage with sauce.
Address: Rua Riachuelo ,1482 - Centro - Curitiba - PR - Brazil

Avenida Paulista Pizza Bar
It offers the Neapolitan pizza, with thick and crunchy brims, different form the traditional pizza, thin and without brims as the fiorela pizza. It is filled with muzarella cheese, endive, garlic and dried tomatoes.

Babilônia Gastronomia & Cia
For lunch and dinner time, the bistro menu has delicious specialties as sushi bar and the varied international dishes. Sandwich prepared by its chef, pastries and meats as the traditional ossobuco with polenta or fettuccine.

Badida
The meat, most of them imported from Argentina. They are served á la carte. Among the meats are: rump cover, lamb and so on, served with farofa and fried yucca. A suggestion for tasting is the main course: abundant couvert.

Bar do Victor
The classic recipes of Curitiba gastronomy are the casquinha of siri and the braçadinhos prawns, are prepared by Eva dos Santos chef. Francisco Urban´s son-in-law was who prepared the dishes.

Bistrô da Marina
As main dish, we have the steak salmon, potatoes with mirro and lemon sauces. Other very required dish is the steak with cream sauce with julienne of vegetables, rice and rosemary.
Address: Rua do Pescador ,22 - Arquipélago - Curitiba - PR - Brazil

Boulevard
French kitchen, with regional elements. Casserole of octopus with tomatoes and mushroom. T-bone of wild boar and lombo. Attends: from Monday to Friday from 12h/14h30 and 19h30/24 hours.

Cantinho do Eisbein
German kitchen, the specialty of the eisbein roast or kassler smoked with chucrute and sausage. Other sugest of home is the marreco to stuff with cabbage and mashed apples.
Address: Av. Dos Estados, 863, Água Verde - Curitiba - PR - Brazil.

Capoani Caffe
The Restaurante Capoani Caffe itself in contemporary kitchen. Bistro´s Environment and recipes creatives. Foie Gras, Filet Mingnon of javali with risoto and prickly pear . Attends: mon 12:00/15:00; thu/sat 12:00/15:00, 19:00/23:30.
Address: R. Com. Araújo 906, Batel - Curitiba - PR - Brazil.

Casa de Portugal
The main dish is the cod, there are 17 kinds. For starting, we offer you the bolinho of cod, preferred by the clients. The cod with cream and the zé do pipo cód are suggestions as main dish. Don´t forget to taste the Santa Clara pies.
Address: Avenida João Pessoa ,579 - Cidade Baixa - Curitiba - PR - Brazil

Chalet Suisse
Varied recepies. Classic dishes inspired in French and swiss culinary. Nice environment with chimneys and faint lights. Lamb with curry sauce. Prawn in curry sauce and Ajoporo Prawn. Orange duck. Attention : Monday to Saturday since 19:00 to 24:00
Address: Rua Francisco Dallalibera 1428, Sta. Felicidade - Curitiba - Parana - Br

Chopp Stübel
It is a house placed in the corner, has enxaimel style, and is located in one of the most traditional places of the German cooking. Its most traditional dish is the steak with cream sauce, with sliced German potato and seasoned with bacon and onion.
Address: Rua Quintino Bocaiúva ,940 - Moinhos de Vento - Curitiba - PR - Brazil

Don Francesco
The rodizio begins with breads, Italian salami, cheese, eggplant with dry tomatoes and cheese pie. Then, we serve you soup of capelete. The galeto ao primo canto is accompanied with combination salad, chop and radicchio with bacon.
Address: Rua Quintino Bocaiúva ,1669 - Bela Vista - Curitiba - PR - Brazil

Durski
Ucranian. Slavic Banquet (Ucranian, Russian and Polish recepies).Borcht (beterraga soup with pork ribs).Platzki(potatoes panqueques) and Pierogi or Varenike (potatoes stuffed pie). Attend: Tue to Sat since 11:30 to 14:30, 19:30 to 23:30, Sund 11:30/16h.
Address: Av. Jaime Reis 254, S. Francisco - Curitiba - Parana - Br

El Toro
The kebabs with portions of 400 grams of meat are the best of the "micro steak house". Cutlet, miñon chop, sausages, leg of pork, picanha of meat and lamb are the most preferred dishes.
Address: Rua Silva Jardim ,311- Mont'Serrat - Curitiba - PR - Brazil

Estrela da Terra
Typical Paranaense food
Address: Rua Jaime Reis, 176 - Largo da Ordem - Curitiba - PR - Brasil

Gokan Sushi
One of the attractions of this place is the beautiful furniture with sofas and pufes, and selected music by the house´s DJ. It is an entertainment option; the restaurant is a meeting place for talking with friends and having a Happy hour.
Address: Alameda Sebastião de Brito ,24 - Boa Vista - Curitiba - PR - Brasil

Grimpa Steak House
The steal house created four cuts of meats in 2008, now are 19 varieties. In the salads buffet, there are not only salads, even hot dishes, pastries, risottos and Brazilian specialties as the "grimpa" kidney bean

Ile de France
The main dishes are: the posion congre aux raisins (conger´s fillet with sausage of grapes and raisins). Other novelty option is the canar aux framboise, duck leg cooked with its own fat with raspberry sausage.

Lagundri Bistrô
The pla neung manao is the main dish. It contains fish cooked with oyster´s sauce, lime leaves, ginger, capin limao, pepper and coriander; served with thai jasmine rice and broccolis.

Madero The Best Burguer in The World
It has a new address, where there is grill bar. The hamburgers au gratin is the main ingredient of the sandwich. It is cooked with 260 grams of meat, gratiné and roasted, making this have better aroma.

Picanha Brava
The dishes contain barbecued meat with paris mushrooms, gorgonzola, and chimichurri sausage. Start tasting the steak tartar, a french recipe that consist of the raw rump over and grinded, seasoned and served with gratiné bread.

Saanga Grill
All meat is sold by weight, the starters are chosen separately. The starter options are wild boar, ostrich and the famous palm heart

Terra Madre Ristorante
The best option to begin tasting is the brabdade of cod with oil and crunchy garlic. The main dish is the ravioli of lamb with sausage of dried figs and port wine.

Villa Marcolini
The starter suggestion is the coated in batter artichoke in a crunchy of brioche, served with pieces of Fontina cheese and garlic. Then you can taste the ossobuco of viteli with risotto milanes.

Zea Maïs
The menu is created by Joy Perine chef. The suggested starter is goat cheese with gratiné bread and tomatoes. It is worth tasting the gnocchi of roots(cooked with English potatoes, yucca, mushrooms and truffles aroma.