Despite the problems surrounding Curitiba’s preparations for the forthcoming tournament, Mario Celso Petraglia didn’t hold back in an interview with Rádio CAP.
Following FIFA’s threat to deny Curitiba the opportunity to be one of the 12 host cities of the 2014 World Cup due to delays in the construction of the Arena da Baixada, the Atlético-PR president bemoaned the lack of finance offered to reform the stadium in an interview with the club’s official radio station.
“All of the problems have been due to a lack of funds. Without funds, you cannot reassure the suppliers or contractors, you cannot pay employees, you cannot meet the schedule and it all generates a very large lack of credibility,” he argued.
FIFA have said that they expect to see a considerable improvement by 18 February. According to Petraglia, 90% of the stadium is complete. The stadium will host four games at the World Cup, among them Spain v Australia.
