President Of Brazil Backs England 2018 World Cup Bid

The president of Brazil has announced his support for England's bid to stage the World Cup in 2018.

President Lula offered his backing at the end of a week that has seen Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards resign from the 2018 bid team.

England's bid had previously been hit by accusations of mediocrity, with ambush advertising, free handbags and the removal of six 2018 board members into advisory roles also making the news in recent weeks.

Lula believes, however, that it has simply been too long since the World Cup last came to the country where football was created.

"I believe that the last one that England hosted, the first and only one was in 1966," he told Channel 4 News.
"And so that's already been 44 years ago that the UK hosted the FIFA cup.

"I think now is the time for the UK to host a FIFA cup again."

Lord Triesman, the Football Association chairman and leader of the bid, was quick to emphasise the significance of Lula's support.
"I think it's really important," said Triesman.

"He's been a huge a fan, a huge advocate of English football; he loves it.

"I remember when he made his state visit he made a joke that we might have introduced Brazil to football and taught them how to do it, but they'd become the teachers and we'd become the pupils.

"He's always had a really strong, positive view of English football.

"When he was over a couple of weeks ago and I had the chance to have a conversation with him he was clear about wanting us to have the World Cup here."

The 2018 board reshuffle and Richards' resignation have made for an unstable face of the bid team, but Lord Triesman insisted that this should not hamper their efforts.


"I shouldn't think most English fans are interested in me or possibly even Dave," Triesman added.


"I think he'd [Richards] say that - they're interested in wanting the World Cup here.

"I took the view at the beginning, even by the time I'd first arrived, that there were different views about how to run the World Cup, and the World Cup bid, and some of those involved arguments.

"I thought it would be possible to get everyone into the room, do what you do do in meetings - you all have an argument.

"Heads get banged together, you come out with a position and you argue for that position.

"Perhaps I've tried for a consensus pretty hard and haven't succeeded - if that's my fault then I accept that.

"But what we've now got is a very slimmed-down, very focused group, and we are dividing the work up because we've got to win the votes of as many of the 24 as we can.

"So I think we've now got the right group, and the right enthusiasm.

"And indeed the people who are no longer on the board have already shown, they're going out and meeting the very people we need them to meet - and having a real impact as well."

Football's mandarins will meet in South Africa this week for the 2010 World Cup draw, and England's representatives are sure to use the opportunity to present their new, united front to the rest of the global game.

Edward Pearce

Source: goal.com/