Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Maracana mayhem as judge cancels England clash with Brazil
ENGLAND'S friendly with Brazil was thrown into chaos last night after a judge suspended the match over safety concerns at the Maracana stadium – the venue of next year’s World Cup final.
A court decision in Brazil ruled that Sunday’s match would be unable to go ahead due to the lack of a safety certificate or a guarantee that safety measures had been met – but the decision could still be overturned, with the government of the State of Rio de Janeiro, who own the stadium, ready to appeal.
Judge Adriana Costa dos Santos said in a statement: “At this moment we have no news that the restrictions were amended to a level of safety that would be expected at this stage.
“Therefore, due to the laziness of the people responsible – in this case the defendants – we cannot allow the stadium to be reinaugurated without proof that it is safe and hygienic.”
The Rio state government claim, however, that they have the relevant paperwork to fight the judge’s ruling and that they expect a safety certificate to be issued today once those documents are handed over.
Last night they said in a statement: “All the safety requirements for the friendly match between Brazil and England have been met and, due to a bureaucratic misunderstanding, the police report that assures that all the safety rules have been fulfilled was not delivered to SUDERJ [a public organisation that administrates the stadium].”
FA chairman David Bernstein was made aware of the concerns yesterday afternoon and passed the worrying details on to the England playing staff – manager Roy Hodgson having taken his side training on Copacabana beach – but they have since been given assurances by the hosts the match will go ahead.
And last night officials from the FA told the Daily Express they have also been assured the game will go ahead with no endangerment to players or spectators.
Last night England assistant coach Gary Neville joked that England could play the match on the beach. After being surprised by a question about the cancellation, of which he was unaware, he said: “We can play on the beach if necessary.”
The Maracana stadium has been plagued by problems since its reopening in April – four months behind schedule – after a three-year makeover to turn it into a suitable venue to host the World Cup next year and the Olympics in 2016. The stadium is also due to host the Confederations Cup next month.