Brazil needs time to benefit from World Cup stadiums - FIFA
By Andrew Downie
SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil will need time to get the full benefit from the stadiums they built for the 2014 World Cup, FIFA's general secretary Jerome Valcke said on Tuesday, responding to criticism that the venues had become white elephants.
Brazil built five new stadiums and renovated seven for the tournament, including several in cities that do not have first division football teams.
While the arenas were filled to capacity during the World Cup, they have since struggled to attract big crowds on a regular basis.
Many have held more non-footballing events, such as mass weddings, religious gatherings and trade fairs, than professional matches.
At least two of the 12 cities are handing over their stadiums to private management companies because they cannot afford to maintain them, but Valcke defended the model and said Brazil needed to be patient.
"You can always criticise the fact that some of the stadiums are not used permanently but they have all been used," Valcke said at a presentation on FIFA's World Cup legacy.
"Not enough say some people but it cannot be in the first phase. It took time in every organising country to use the facilities that were built, after the World Cup. It will take time to use all these stadiums at their maximum."
The World Cup was widely considered to be a success and Valcke said he had not received "a single complaint".
He added that Brazil would reap the benefits for years to come and not just in football.
"The biggest success of Brazil has been to showcase to the world that it is an amazing country to come to," Valcke said.
"The majority of people who came to Brazil the first time say they will come back. I am talking about tourism. Brazil got huge recognition following this World Cup."
Thierry Regenass, FIFA's director of member associations and development, said the governing body would give $100 million to Brazil.
Sixty percent of that will go on building grassroots infrastructure such as pitches and dressing rooms, particularly in the states that did not host World Cup matches.
Another 15 percent will go towards youth development and women's football, he added.
"The benefits will go to places which even though they love football do not have an infrastructure comparable to the big urban centres," Jose Maria Marin, president of the Brazilian football federation (CBF), said.
So far just 5.4 percent of the budget has been spent or transferred, Regenass said.
(Reporting by Andrew Downie; editing by Toby Davis)
