Parreira hired for the 2014 World Cup.
Former coach of the Brazilian national team to become a consultant for Minas Gerais, advocating for cities in the state to host national team training centers in 2014.
Minas 247 - The former coach of the Brazilian national team in two World Cups (1994, when Brazil won their fourth title, and 2006, when they were eliminated in the quarterfinals by France) will be at the 2014 World Cup. Carlos Alberto Parreira was hired by the Extraordinary State Secretariat for the World Cup (Secopa-MG) as a consultant for Minas Gerais.
His job will be to advocate for cities in the state's interior as suitable venues to host teams participating in the World Cup. Parreira's first task will be to conduct a diagnostic assessment of 19 cities in Minas Gerais that have the potential to host a National Team Training Center (CTS).
With extensive international experience and good relations with world confederations (Parreira has already coached other national teams, such as Kuwait, South Africa and Saudi Arabia), Parreira will also visit the countries qualified for the World Cup and show what Minas Gerais has to offer.
Currently, around 280 cities in Brazil are candidates to host a CTS (City Sports Center). Since only 32 teams compete in the World Cup, the competition is almost nine candidate cities for each spot.
These are the 19 cities in Minas Gerais that are candidates to become CTS (Center for Technological Innovation): Araxá, Caxambu, Caeté, Divinópolis, Extrema, Formiga, Governador Valadares, Ipatinga, Juiz de Fora, Lagoa Santa, Matias Barbosa, Montes Claros, Patos de Minas, Poços de Caldas, Sacramento, Sete Lagoas, Uberaba, Uberlândia, and Varginha.
Officially, to be a candidate for a Training Center, a city must meet several FIFA prerequisites regarding hotels, airports, and fields. Some of these requirements, according to FIFA itself, are:
Hotel
- The hotel must have a minimum of 55 rooms available with air conditioning or heating (considering the climate in the region during the months of June and July). Some selections may require 100 rooms or more.
- The restaurant service must cater to a minimum of 55 people, buffet style, and be reserved 24 hours a day for the exclusive use of the team.
The press conference room should be cinema-style and have a minimum capacity of 100 people.
Airport
The city must be near an airport capable of receiving aircraft with 120 passengers and allowing night flights.
FIFA requires a distance that represents a maximum travel time of 60 minutes between the hotel and the airport, via bus.
Training field
The training center must have at least one field in excellent condition and official dimensions, as well as a spa, swimming pool, and fitness area.
The travel time between the hotel and the training center should be a maximum of 20 minutes by bus.