No speeches at World Cup ceremony
Wednesday, 12 March 2014
Football's world governing body, Fifa, has announced that there will be no speeches at the opening ceremony of the World Cup in June. Last year, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff was booed by fans at the opening match of the Confederations Cup - a curtain-raiser for the World Cup. In an interview with DPA news agency, Fifa head Sepp Blatter expressed concern about social unrest in Brazil. He said he hoped the event would play a part in calming down the protests. Protesters took to the streets of many Brazilian cities shortly before the Confederations Cup in June 2013. They denounced corruption and the perceived high cost of preparations for the World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, which will be hosted by Rio de Janeiro, according to BBC.