ZURICH: Jerome Valcke will remain FIFA’s 2014 World Cup progress-chaser, to keep giving the Brazilians a “kick up the backside” on the delay-scarred road to the 2014 World Cup writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

A questionmark had hung over the role of the world federation’s secretary-general after the storm prompted – albeit ‘only’ in Brazil – by his forthright remarks about the failure of the country’s politicians and contractors to rise to the challenge.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has clarified in a statement that Valcke will maintain all his duties, including working with the Brazilian government to organise the finals.

After meeting Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff last Friday, Blatter said he would reach a decision about Valcke in due course but there was no real prospect of him bowing to Brazilian demands.

Blatter said: “There is no problem between the FIFA president and the FIFA secretary general. Jerome Valcke is in charge of all of his activities as secretary general, including the preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.”

Valcke’s scheduled inspection visit to Brazil last week had been postponed until Blatter’s summit with Rousseff.

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