BRASILIA: The new Mane Garrincha stadium in Brasilia, being built for next year’s World Cup, will turn out to be a white elephant according to the regional governor.

Agnelo Queiroz is the pessimistic politician whose administration has the task of trying to see that the stadium pays its way when the FIFA circus has left town.

Queiroz issued his warning while acknowledging a 20,000 crowd for the basketball festival, Estrelas do Basquete, in Brasilia.

He said: “It’s important to recognise the success of the basketball event in attracting 20,000 people to an indoor event because we will never see a local football match do that.”

The officially-entitled Estadio Nacional Mane Garrincha – named in honour of the ironic 1958 and 1962 World Cup-winner – will have a 70,064 capacity after being built at a cost of £326m.

Construction has been bedevilled with problems. The latest delivery date, postponed from last December, is April this year.

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