During a visit to Amazonas, Valcke takes a dig at Recife.
During a visit to the Arena Amazônia, FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke criticized the decision of Recife's mayor, Geraldo Júlio, to cancel the FIFA Fan Fest in Pernambuco, which would have used public funds; “The Fan Fest is an integral part of the World Cup. Anyone who says the World Cup can happen without a Fan Fest is mistaken. I'm not mentioning any city in particular, maybe Recife a little bit,” he said; the event had a budget of R$ 20 million.
Pernambuco 247 - During a visit to the Arena Amazônia, FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke criticized the decision of Recife's mayor, Geraldo Júlio, to cancel the FIFA Fan Fest in Pernambuco, which would have used public funds. “The Fan Fest is an integral part of the World Cup. Anyone who says the World Cup can happen without a Fan Fest is mistaken. I'm not mentioning any city in particular, maybe Recife a little bit,” Valcke stated. The event had a budget of R$ 20 million.
“FIFA doesn’t make money with Fan Fest. It’s for the city, it’s not a way for FIFA to make money,” the secretary stated, in response to criticism that the event only served to promote the governing body. The decision was announced by the mayor of Recife last Friday (14). According to Geraldo Júlio, the money will be used for public mobility works. Despite the suspension of the event, the FIFA Fan Fest could still take place if it is financed by sponsors.
Following the decision, the governor of Pernambuco, Eduardo Campos (PSB), congratulated Geraldo Júlio, who is his political protégé and fellow party member, on the decision. "It is a source of pride for the PSB to have in its ranks a mayor who knows how to carefully assess how to manage public finances and think about the good of the city," the governor stated on Facebook.