World Cup Brazil 2014

A few weeks ago, Neymar, player of Santos FC and a rising star of the Brazilian team, had offers to move to Chelsea; a few days ago, Neymar declared that he would decline Chelsea’s offer and would stay in Brazil.

Was Neymar naive? Far from it.

According to rumours (leaks?), Chelsea offered to pay £55,000 per week, which converts to about R$ 600,000 per month. While Neymar was carefully thinking over it, Santos FC was looking for sponsors who would help pay his salary.

Neymar had a raise, and now his salary will be R$ 600,000 per month (only Ronaldo, in Corinthians, has a higher salary in Brazil – R$ 1 million per month); in January 2010, his salary had been raised to R$ 125,000; in March 2009, he had had a raise to R$ 80,000. Probably the quickest raise in Brazilian football, ever.

Besides, Santos will now provide assistance to his family (Neymar’s sister was promised a job). And, of course, in the near future, Neymar will appear in the National Team, with all the merchandising fruits that it bears; even being ruled out from the World Cup 2010, Neymar starred several commercials in Brazil – including giants Nike (movie below), Seara (food processor, one of the FIFA partners) and Telefónica, among others.

What would he get by going to Chelsea? Salary would be the same. Merchandising opportunities would be fewer. And worse of all, Neymar doesn’t speak any English, he never left the country, he never had contact with the formality, the punctuality, the food of Britain, and would face serious troubles to adapt to Chelsea; for these same reasons, Neymar’s friend, Robinho, was not nearly as successful in England as he was in Brazil (by the way, Robinho declared that he wished to stay in Santos, and only returned to Manchester City to comply with his contract).

It was a clever decision.

Lancenet, one of the most influential sports website in Brazil, published yesterday a report about the Local Organising Committee of the World Cup 2014.

The members of the LOC were all chosen by the President of CBF, Ricardo Teixeira: Joana Havelange, Teixeira’s daughter (Teixeira is son in law of Joao Havelange, who was President of FIFA from 1974 to 1998); Francisco Mussnich, Teixeira’s lawyer; Mario Rosa, Teixeira’s advisor in Brasilia, helped Teixeira while he was responding to a Probing Comission before the Brazilian Senate, in 2001); Rodrigo Paiva, spokesman of CBF; and economist Carlos Langoni, former President of the Central Bank of Brazil.

The report informs that, due to attrition, Rosa and Langoni have quit, and were not replaced; still according to the report, other partners of Mussnich report to the LOC, including an architect, who would be consultant on stadiums matters.

In the World Cup 2010, the LOC was composed by the members of the South Africa Government and of National and Regional Football Federations; in Germany 2006, the LOC was composed primarily by members of the German Government (Franz Backenbauer was appointed by the Government to head the German LOC), with some participation of the Federations; in 2002 Japan and Korea, the LOC had members from the Governments, the Federations and some big corporations (LG and Hyundai) – the Japanese LOC confronted FIFA over ticket prices and accommodation matters.

Lancenet conducted a survey asking Brazilians whether they agreed with this method of managing the World Cup 2014; 33% said that they would prefer a 3-parties (Government, Federations and the Civil Society); most didn’t know or didn’t care.

Fact is that few Brazilians know who is going to pay for the Cup, and who is going to profit. Most Brazilians only care about the result of the matches of the Brazilian team.

CBF is a private entity and, as such, is not obliged to open its financial records to the public. According to this Federal Representative, CBF will receive US$ 420 million from FIFA (let alone the proceedings it will collect from marketing partnres), and nobody knows what is going to happen with that money. On the other hand, it is well known that the Brazilian Government will spend lots of cash to fund the World Cup.

The buses systems of the main Brazilian cities are not reliable. In most cities, urban trains barely exist. The metro is the most reliable means of transportation, but the grid is not as comprehensive as they should.

Foreing tourists will probably have to resort to taxis. Brazilian taxi systems in the large cities are usually reasonably organized (much better organized than in South Africa).

Taxis are uniformly painted (in Rio, they are yellow with a blue band – see photo, but that isn’t a norm), and a (usually expensive) license is required – and the legal drivers don’t hesitate to weed out the illegal taxis.

Taxi Fares (in Portuguese, Tarifas de Taxi) have three components: a starting fare, a fare per kilometer and a fare per idle time (the latter starts counting as soon as the speed falls below a certain treshold); values vary from city to city.

A site was created to estimate Taxi Fares in the major Brazilian cities (including all host cities of the WC 2014). According to the authors, effort is made to keep the values updated.

Notice that during the night, weekends and, in most cities, all through the month of December, a special fare applies (in Portuguese, it is called Bandeira 2).

Notice also that in certain places, particularly airports and interstate bus terminals, the fare is fixed (depending only on the destination) and paid before boarding the vehicle.

Finding English speaking taxi drivers is an exception, rather than the norm. If you come across a driver who looks helpful and speaks languages, grab his card.

The site Copa 2014 published today information about the new Arena Corinthians Itaquera. The idea of building this arena is not new; there were notes about it a year ago and again a few months ago.

The difference now is that an actual project was presented to the President of Corinthians, by Architecture Office Castro Mello (who also projected the National Stadium in Brasilia).

Credit of Images: Castro Mello Arquitetos.

The venue of the World Cup in Sao Paulo is still undefined. Morumbi was supposed to be the venue, but Sao Paulo FC is not willing to make the necessary investments.

This new Arena would be built in the neighbourhood of Itaquera, in the Eastern end of the city of Sao Paulo, where Corinthians owns a large area. The stadium would have connection to the Corinthians station of the Metro, which would  help solve many accessibility problems faced by other stadia.

The stadium would have capacity of 55,000 seats. By installing retractable modules, the capacity could be expanded to 65,000, which would permit the stadium to host the opening match of the Cup.

Estimated cost is R$ 400 million (the estimated cost for renovation of Morumbi was R$ 650 million). The projects (including licenses) would take eight months, and the works would take two years.

According to Copa 2014, Grupo Advento would find the necessary fundings. In return, the group would have a share of the revenues from the stadium for a period of ten years – and after that, Corinthians would still receive R$ 200 million in cash.

If Corinthians can really obtain fundings, the project has very good chances to be approved by CBF.

FIFA and CBF have already declared that their main concern for the World Cup 2014 is with the airports.

Brazilian airports are already operating above capacity and, despite measures to attempt to speed up their building, we don’t know if the airports will be ready for 2014. Even if the airports are ready, we don’t know if there will be a sufficient supply of seats. And now, even if the airlines sell the tickets, we don’t know if they will actually transport the passenger.

Since last Sunday, August 1st, airline Gol has been delaying or canceling many of their flights. On Monday, more than 50% of the flights were affected; in Rio de Janeiro alone, out of 105 flights, 80 had been delayed and 11 had been canceled. On Tuesday, Infraero informed that Gol had delayed 203 and canceled 47 domestic flights. Today, Infraero informed that about 37% of domestic flights are still delayed.

Gol informed that the delays were “a reflex of the big increase in the volume of passengers, since last Friday” (last day of the winter break in Brazilian schools). According to sources, Gol pilots and crews had exceed the overtime work permitted by law, and refused to fly; besides, Gol had diverted aircrafts to more profitable charter flights, lacking aircrafts for normal routes.

Today, ANAC, the Civil Aviation Federal Agency, announced the punishment for Gol: a R$ 2 million (a bit more than US$ 1 million) fine.

So, a company sells tickets to thousands of passengers, fails to honor them, comes up with stupid excuses, and gets away paying a R$ 2 million fine (that is, if Gol ever pays that fine – it is well known that corporations in Brazil just ignore fines imposed by the Federal Agencies). No wonder the company doesn’t care about quality.

One could think that Gol’s competitors could take the opportunity to gain new clients. But it is no so. First, because the air transportation market in Brazil is dominated by a duopoly, Gol and TAM. And also because TAM is not any more reliable than Gol – massive TAM delays are also not very uncommon.

Probably CBF is right: the stadiums are delayed, but they can be built until 2014; changing the scenario of air transportation in Brazil will be much more difficult.

Time Magazine published this article “Is China ready to host the World Cup – in 16 Years?“.

China is considering to bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2026 (the bidding processes for 2018 and 2022 are under way, and biddings are closed). According to Time, so big is the presence of China in the World today (in Economy, Sports, culture, Politics, etc) that the country stands good chances to host the event in 2026.

Brazil and China have had a long, stable and peaceful relationship.

There are no precise numbers about the Chinese population in Brazil (Chinese live dispersed,  there are no Chinatowns in Brazil); in 2005, there were already more than 200,000 Chinese in Brazil (enough to fill up any of the Stadiums of the World Cup), but the number certainly has been growing fast since.

More recently, with the economic growth of both countries, the commercial trading exploded, and so did the number of travellers;  in 2010, China will be the biggest foreign investor in Brazil.

But can the China Team play in the World Cup 2014 in Brazil?

According to Time, no; football in China is incipient, is plagued by corruption and lacks attention from the Government (a tennis table team can win tens of medals in the Olympics, but a football team can win only one). The New York Times also asked where are China soccer stars?

However, it won’t be a surprise if China manages to qualify for 2014, again.  The Chinese played in the World Cup 2002, and played against Brazil; Brazil won by 4 x 0, the movie below shows the goals.

The Asia Confederation is given 4.5 slots for the World Cup (four secured slots, and a slot defined in a play-off against a team from other Confederation). In 2006, the Qualified teams were Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and  Iran (China lost to Kuwait). In 2010, the Qualified teams were Japan, Australia, South Korea and North Korea (China lost to the Australians).

So, it won’t be an easy task for China to qualify, as Japan, South Korea and Australia seem to be conquering a supremacy in that region; however, the remaining slots have been taken by underdogs (China was one, in 2002), and the Chinese Team could very well take one of them in 2014. Last June, right before the World Cup 2010, China won France by 1 x 0 (see movie).

What is certain is that if China comes to the World Cup 2014, it will only contribute to the success of the event.

The Brazilian legislation specifies seven different kinds of Visa; read more about all Brazil Visas.

Visitors coming for visitation and recration purposes, just a Tourist Visa is necessary (that’s the easiest one to obtain).

To work as a volunteer in Brazil (even if no payment is involved), it is necessary a Temporary Visa; the volunteer work is considered “cultural trip” or “studies mission”, as qualified in article 13, item I of this Law.

The documentation to be produced when applying for any Temporary Visa includes: passport valid for six months and containing at least two blank pages, two photos, proof of residence, certificate of good conduct, and more. See complete list.

For those traveling to Brazil to provide services, including volunteer work, to charitable or religious entities or to Non Governmental Organizations, without a work contract or employment relationship (if such contract or relationship exists, then a Work Visa will be needed), further documentation is required.

This documentation is determined by Resolution 68, December 7th 2005: the applicant must present an invitation provided by the entity or organization, and the entity or organization must proof legal status and take responsability (upkeeping, health, etc) for the applicant.

See more information about Brazil Visas.

Read also the Law about Volunteer Work in Brazil.

Brazilian legislation specifies seven different kinds of Travel Visas.

For visitors who come for visitation or recreation purposes only, as is the case of most people coming to attend the World Cup in 2014, the applicable Visa is the Tourist Visa. Those who come for business or work purposes (including journalists and volunteers) must apply for a Temporary Visa.

The Law says (article 10) that, if a country doesn’t require a Visa for Brazilian Tourists, then nationals from that country will not need a Tourist Visa to enter Brazil.

The Ministry for Foreign Relations maintains a page (supposedly up to date) with a list of countries which do not need a Tourist Visa to enter Brazil.  The list includes most European countries with regular presence in World Cups, such as United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, France, Switzerland, Ireland and others. Nationals from Mercosul (Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay) don’t even need a passport.

Among others, the following countries do need a Tourist Visa: USA, Canada, Japan, Australia.

Required documentation is listed at this page. Cost of Visa ranges from US$ 20 to US$ 100; Brazilian authorities claim that the price is based on reciprocity. In June 2010, American Consulates in Brazil increased the application fee to US$ 140, which should reflect in the fee charged from American citizens to enter Brazil.

Visa applications must be submitted to the Brazilian Embassies and Consulates; this page contains links to consulates all over the world (cities in alphabetic order). The Ministry of Tourism maintains a few tourism offices in some major World cities, which may also be helpful.

Validity of Visas is also subject to reciprocity (recently, American citizens became eligible to ten year visas). Regardless of the validity, the following applies (article 12 of the Law): multiple entries are permitted; maximum stay per entry is 90 days; if required withing the first 90 days, an extension may be granted, at discretion of Brazilian authorities; maximum stay per year is 180 days.

Read more about the Brazil Visas.

Below, a short guide for people who are thinking about visiting the World Heritage Sites in Brazil during the World Cup.

A few days ago, Unesco inscribed another Brazilian Monument as a World Heritage Site: the Sao Francisco Square.

The Square is in the city of Sao Cristovao, in the State of Sergipe; founded in 1590, it is the fourth oldest city in Brazil. The Square is surrounded by Historic buildings, such as the Church and Convent of Sao Francisco (built in 1693), Church of Our Lady of Rosary of Colored Men, the Sisters Mercy Hospital and more.

Sao Cristovao was built while Portugal was under rule of the Spanish King (1580 – 1640). This kind of large square which concentrates all public buildings was common in other Latin American cities, but  not so common in Brazil.

Sao Cristovao was capital of the State until 1855, when Aracaju was founded to be the new capital. Thanks to that, all the colonial, baroque, religious architecture is very well preserved in Sao Cristovao (the Sacred Arts Museum is one of the richest in Brazil).

The movie below shows the Sao Francisco Square; see more photos and movies of Sao Cristovao and Sao Francisco Square.

Brazil has now 19 Heritage Sites. Full list is here. The World Cup is a good opportunity to visit some of the Sites.

Sao Cristovao, as said above, is distant from the major cities. Even Aracaju remains as one of the quietest capitals in the Northeast of  Brazil. One can reach Sao Cristovao by driving from Salvador (about 350 km) or Recife (500 km).

Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, is itself a Heritage Site. Brasilia is also the host city nearest the Old Town of Goias and the best starting point to visit the parks of Cerrado (Chapada dos Veadeiros and Parque das Emas – the Parks are close to each other, and about 200 km from Brasilia).

Recife is neighboor to Olinda, a Heritage Site. Recife is also the departure point to visit Fernando de Noronha; actually, the part of Noronha which is considered Heritage (the Atol das Rocas) is open only to researchers, but the paradisiac beaches of Noronha are worthy a visit.

Manaus is right on the middle of the Amazon Basin, and Cuiaba is right on the middle of Pantanal. Actually, the main purpose of CBF having chosen those cities as hosts (see here) was to draw attention (and tourists) to the Amazon and the Pantanal.

Fortaleza is the host city nearest to two Heritage sites: the Historic Center of Sao Luis (about 1,100 km away from Fortaleza – there are flighst between the cities) and the Serra da Capivara National Park (about 600 km from Fortaleza, probably the most difficult Heritage Site to get to).

Curitiba and Porto Alegre are both good starting points to visit  two Heritage Sites: the Missions of Sao Miguel (read about the movie) and mesmerizing Foz do Iguaçu Park (or, in Spanish, Foz do Iguazu – anyhow, Iguaçu puts Niagara Falls to shame – see photo). Both Sites are far from each other (200 km) and require travel across the State  (800 km).

Salvador is also a Heritage Site itself; Salvador is the host city nearest the Atlantic Forest of the Discovery Coast, about 200 km South of the city. Another part of the Atlantic Forest which is also inscribed as World Heritage is located between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Belo Horizonte is the host city with more Heritage Sites nearby. From BH, it’s a short drive to Ouro Preto, Diamantina and Bom Jesus do Congonhas; all these cities flourished during the epoch of the Gold Rush in Brazil, and are located along the road used to transport the gold, Estrada Real.

The World Cup in Brazil will have much to offer, besides football.

Natal is a city with nearly 1 million people, and is one of the hosts of 2014. With easy access from Europe and North America, and beautiful tropical beaches, it will probably be one of the most visited cities during the Cup.

The Brazilian Government has been announcing that there will be heavy investments in infrastructure to prepare the country for the World Cup, including US$ 12 bn in Information Technology investments.

However, it is very likely that users accustomed to high speed access in their home countries will feel the impact of the lower levels of services in Brazil. The Finnish (to whom a 1 MB connection is a basic right, rather than a commerciable service), or the Japanese (who since 2004 have been seeing 1 GB connection for US$ 38 per month), may feel they are back to the Paleolithic Era of internet.

Take, for example, this notice published yesterday, August 1st 2010, by newspaper Tribuna de Natal about broadband access in Natal.

There are only two providers of broaband access in Natal: Cabo Telecom (a cable TV operator) and Oi Velox (ran by Oi Brazil, which happens to be the worst telecom company in Brazil).

Below, prices charged by Cabo Telecom:

So, for a plan with up to 1 Mbps of download and up to 256 Kbps upload, subject to a monthly quota of 20 GB of transfer, the price is R$ 109.90 per month (a bit more than US$ 60 per month).

The broadest band Oi offers in Natal is 1 Mbps, costing 109.90 monthly, provided that the user buys a “promotion” package including voice services.

If the client is interested in data connection only (no voice), then the following table applies:

For most cities (including Natal), only 1 Mpbs is offered, at a cost of R$ 130 for configuration and R$ 123.30 monthly afterwards.

These are the the same options that businesses like hotels, LAN houses, shopping centers, etc have in Natal; that means that their services won’t be any better than their providers’ services.

For some cities, the improvement of internet access, along with a reduction in prices, could be one important legacy of the World Cup.