Prior to the 2010 World Cup, the media was obsessed with discussing whether the tournament would be a total and complete debacle. Topics ranged from the lack of quality stadiums to insufficient security. Turns out things went off without a hitch.
What’s strange, however, is that the coming tournament in Brazil gets a pass even though the country is dangerous and has a history of corruption that rivals South Africa’s.
Enter the Shin Guardian, which has an article discussing Brazil’s preparations for the tournament.
The verdict: Not good. According to a recent report highlighted by Professor Christopher Gaffney, the budget for one of the stadiums has “multiple items are included multiple times, there are innumerable opportunities for inflationary costs to be written in, and items included in the engineering budget have nothing to do with engineering.”
Gaffney speaks with the Sports Superintendent for Rio de Janeiro State, the organization that is in charge of preparing the Maracanã for the tournament. The interview is unsettling at best.
The takeaway: “Budgets that border on complete fiction.”
Expect to start reading about Brazil’s preparation – or lack thereof – soon.