FIFA postpones completion of Itaquerão stadium again: April

COSTA DO SAUÍPE, Dec 5 (Reuters) - FIFA has once again postponed the deadline for the delivery of the São Paulo stadium for the 2014 World Cup, moving the final date for the completion of the arena, which will host the opening match of the World Cup on June 12, to April 15.

Despite the recent change to the stadium's inauguration, where an accident occurred last week in which two workers died, FIFA currently has no plans to change the venue for the World Cup's opening match, and the only thing it can do is pray that no more accidents happen involving the World Cup construction, in the words of the president of the organization responsible for world football, Joseph Blatter.

"We have received information that the stadium will be ready by mid-April, April 14th or 15th of next year. We believe it's a matter of confidence. For now, there is no plan B," Blatter stated in a press conference in Costa do Sauípe, where the World Cup group stage draw will take place on Friday.

"What FIFA can do, FIFA can ask God, Allah, whoever, to ensure that no more accidents involving the World Cup happen, that's the only thing we can do," he added.

Arena Corinthians, which is under construction in the eastern part of São Paulo, was scheduled for completion in December, but FIFA initially postponed the deadline to February due to the accident that occurred last week, in which a crane collapsed onto part of the arena.

In addition to the São Paulo stadium, known as Itaquerão, the arenas in Curitiba and Cuiabá also had their completion deadlines postponed to February by FIFA this week. The other three arenas (Porto Alegre, Manaus, and Natal) that are under construction for the World Cup are scheduled for completion in January.

Of the six stadiums already ready for the World Cup, which were used in the Confederations Cup in June, four did not meet the original completion deadline set by FIFA, which was December of last year.

(By Pedro Fonseca)