BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil — FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke voiced doubts Tuesday that Brazil will have all six stadiums ready for the Confederations Cup in June 2013 due to the slow pace of preparations. The tournament is considered a dress-rehearsal for the World Cup that Brazil is hosting the following year at 12 stadiums which are being upgraded or rebuilt from scratch in Brazil's largest cities. “At this pace, we are not going to have six stadiums ready for the Confederations Cup,” he told reporters after visiting the 66,800-capacity Minerao stadium, home to Atletico Mineiro and Cruzeiro. The Belo Horizonte Stadium has more than 80 percent of its upgrade completed and is the closest to being ready, along with Fortaleza's Castelao Stadium. Recife's Arena Pernambuco is the main concern for the Confederation Cup organizers. Only 64 percent of the construction has been completed just eight months from the tournament, according to contractor Odebrecht Infraestructura. Even the Brazilian minister could not guarantee delivery on time. “We don't have a single stadium ready for the Confederations Cup. We have deadlines. Stadiums that are on schedule will host matches, those that don't make the deadline won't,” Rebelo said. FIFA has given the six cities until mid-November to prove they are on track. If they are not, they could be dropped from the tournament. FIFA has contingency plans to play the matches in five or even four cities if necessary. — Reuters
