Every stadium still under construction for the 2014 Brazil World Cup will miss Fifa鈥檚 original deadline of 31 December
Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo said the six venues - in Sao Paulo, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Cuiaba, Manaus and Natal - would be finished in January.
Earlier this week, Fifa - world football鈥檚 governing body - admitted that three of the six would not be ready in time and agreed to extend its deadline.
Brazil鈥檚 preparations have been hit by construction problems along with mass public protests about the money being spent.
The World Cup kicks off on 12 June in Sao Paulo鈥檚 Arena Corinthians, where two people died last week after a construction crane collapsed.
Speaking yesterday (4 December), Rebelo said: 鈥淭here are delays but they will not be significant. What matters is that we are ready to go in January.鈥�
And he compared the World Cup preparations to organising a wedding.
鈥淚n every wedding that I attended the bride was late. I鈥檝e never seen a bride arrive on time - but never saw a marriage that didn鈥檛 go ahead.鈥�
Brazil鈥檚 other six stadiums were opened ahead of last June鈥檚 Confederations Cup.
However, in a more recent BBC interview, Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke appeared to contradict Rebelo, saying two stadiums may not be finished until March.
Asked whether there was any point in Fifa setting deadlines, he replied: 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a good question. I agree, that鈥檚 a good question.
鈥淵ou are expecting that they understand what we need and that they will play the game by saying 鈥榞uys we are together鈥� - and that鈥檚 the disappointment.鈥�
No comments yet