By Satish Sekar © Satish Sekar (June 15^th 2013)

No Mas

In a football-mad country like Brasil this must seem like sporting blasphemy, but Brasilians are fuming. They will support their team – to do otherwise is the vilest treachery – but they are mad and rightly so. The object of their fury is their President Dilma Rousseff. She has stayed silent as FIFA came to town to bask in the Confederation’s Cup.

Brasil is in a downturn in its fortunes on the pitch too – few believe they have a realistic chance of a sixth World Cup next year. Spiralling costs and a white elephant being the most expensive stadium is an outrage too far. The team was greeted as heroes – the players loudly cheered. Blatter and Rousseff could only dream of such an ovation, but FIFA’s President can at least console himself with the knowledge that Rousseff was the target.

No Diversion

Luiz Inácio Lula de Silva was always going to be hard act to follow. Brasil’s 35^th President was as popular for his battles on behalf of the poor of South America’s largest football-mad country, as his successor is despised. If Rousseff ever enjoyed a political honeymoon, it is well and truly over.

The Confederations Cup began with an opening ceremony that seemed strangely muted by Brasilian standards, but it was appreciated by the full to the rafters Estadio Nacional in Brasilia. Any goodwill was in short supply when the names of FIFA President Joseph Sepp Blatter and Rousseff were announced. Their speeches drowned out in cacophony of jeering, but why?

The Whitest Elephant in Football

Brasilians love football, but some things are more important. Poverty is stark to put it mildly and not even samba football can disguise the disgust Brasilians feel towards their President. She has stayed silent as construction costs spiralled out of control and the costs of hosting the triumvirate of sporting events mounts. Although the right to host came on Lula’s watch it is Rousseff the masses love to hate and with reason.

Not a word of condemnation has passed her lips as FIFA was seen by Brasilians to profit, but their special ire is aimed at the plush new National Stadium. Not even naming it after football legend Garincha can disguise the fact that this swanky stadium to rival any in the world is the most expensive fourth division – yes fourth division – stadium in the world.

Brasilia has the most expensive stadium built with the World Cup in mind. The construction woes are legion and widely reported, but the National Stadium puts the concerns over Ukraine and Poland and several African Cup of Nations to shame. Brasilia does not have a First Division team, nor a Second or even a Third Division team to play in the swanky new stadium. The best Brasilia can boast is the once great Brasília, currently languishing in Brasil’s fourth tier – hardly likely to fill the National Stadium. Put simply Brasilians, including the good citizens of Brasilia, believe that their President let them down and that the National Stadium is destined to be a colossal waste of money. It’s hard to argue against them.