I was lucky enough to be given FIFA official media accreditation for the World Cup which allows me access to almost every match I’m able to get to. And I must say it has been a pleasant journey so far in Brazil apart from a few minor problems. As I’ve discovered, living in Brazil would be extremely difficult for anyone who doesn’t speak Portuguese as most locals don’t know even the most basic English words such as “food” or “good”, and of course there are always safety concerns here. A couple of my journalist colleagues have been robbed during the past few weeks.
Estádio Maracanã is one of the most beautiful football stadiums in the world
But these things didn’t happen to me and I was mostly happy with my time at this World Cup … until last Sunday! Belgium was playing Russia at Estádio Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro on a sunny Sunday afternoon. As I entered the stadium through the security gate as usual, something unexpected happened. The Security guard insisted, with a rude gesture and some baffling language, that I open my bag and take everything out. I didn’t think I had any dangerous items at all as I took out my laptop, my notebook, pen, chargers, cameras, but my anger was obvious when he asked me to pull everything out from the very bottom. And then I saw the culprit – a tiny apple I had left in my bag days ago and forgotten about!
“No food in the media centre,” the sign read, but a small, rotten apple? Come on! I understand that the World Cup is all about the money and while you are allowed to drink and eat inside the stadium, they must come from FIFA’s sponsors. So Pepsi is definitely not OK, but an apple?!
Apples. Not allowed!
I couldn’t help but think of a local cliché surrounding this World Cup: FIFA standard. Sao Paulo’s old Morumbi Stadium was not “FIFA standard”, so they had to build a new stadium called Corinthians Arena. But what happens after this tournament is over? I can assure you that Morumbi stadium, which traditionally hosted local club Sao Paulo FC and sometimes Corinthians, has never generated big revenue. It goes on and on.
Brazilians hate the so-called FIFA standard, which is basically code for “FIFA can do whatever they want”. I interviewed a guy from Canon (another FIFA sponsor) who happened to be a Brazilian, and he was quick to let me know that FIFA standard is a joke!
The organization has become a greedy cash machine in the modern era and it’s no surprise to see all the recent accusations of corruption. Luckily the football here in Brazil has been a pleasant surprise. We’ve seen teams like the USA and Chile performing well, while big guns Spain Portugal and England have struggled. Sadly, while it has been a victory for football, it is yet another failure for FIFA.
