The tournament in Brazil has been under threat due to
demonstrations spreading across the country, but football's governing body says
the show will go on
Fifa says it has no plans to cancel the Confederations
Cup taking place in Brazil, despite anti-government protests spreading across
the country.
Over one million people took to the streets on Thursday,
voicing their anger over the vast extent to which public resources have been
spent on the World Cup in 2014 at huge cost to the poor and needy in the
country.
However, football's world governing body has insisted
that, while it understands the actions of those who have protested, there are
no plans to bring an early end to this summer's eight-team competition, nor
disrupt next year's World Cup.
"We support and acknowledge the right of free speech
and to demonstrate peacefully and condemn any form of violence, [but] at no
stage has neither Fifa, the Local Organising Committee nor the Federal
Government discussed or considered cancelling the Fifa Confederations Cup or
the Fifa World Cup," said a Fifa statement.
"We are in constant contact with all stakeholders,
including the teams, and keep them updated on all arrangements made. We have
not received any requests to leave Brazil from any team.''
An 18-year-old was killed during the protests after a
collision with a car in Sao Paolo on Thursday, while others have been injured.
Latest projections suggest that over €10 billion will be
spent on improving stadiums, airports and other projects ahead of next summer's
World Cup, with 90 per cent of the cost coming from public funds despite
initial promises that money would be provided by private investment.
The Confederations Cup, used as a test event for the
World Cup, began on June 15 and will run until June 30.
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