ZURICH: Brazil’s state President, Dilma Rousseff, has promised world football that “all will be ready for the fans and teams” heading for World Cup finals in June writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

That assurance was reported by Sepp Blatter, the FIFA president.

The timing could hardly have been accidental. Blatter is a member of the International Olympic Committee whose executive board, simultaneously, was announcing emergency measures to try to save the confusion-hit Rio 2016 Games.

Rousseff, in the latest of several ‘summit phone calls’ with Blatter accepted his invitation to attend the opening ceremony of the FIFA Congress in Sao Paulo three days before the World Cup kicks off.

Uncertainty continues, however, over arrangements at the Opening Match itself between Brazil and Croatia.

Rousseff is expected to attend but FIFA has suggested that formal speeches will be reduced to a minimum to avert the negative crowd reaction to the presidents which erupted at the opening of the Confederations Cup last year.

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