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PREPARING SOUTH AFRICA FOR THE WORLD |
Jerome Valcke was appointed the head of marketing at FIFA in 2003. He now holds the position of general secretary of the governing body which makes him the second most powerful football administrator in the world. Valcke flew into a storm of controversy in South Africa last week following FIFA President Sepp Blatter's admission that there is a 'Plan B' in the event that South Africa is unable to host the 2010 World Cup. Project 2010 asked him….  With your experience with hosting previous World Cup tournaments and the problems you have faced - like dealing with co-hosts in 2002 or the labour problems on the eve of the tournament in France in 1998, how do you compare South Africa's problems, particularly with regards to the recent outbreak of xenophobia and the crisis in Zimbabwe? Every country that hosts the World Cup has its own set of problems, and South Africa is no exception. Our main focus is getting the work done and we are doing this. In terms of Zimbabwe, yes, we are worried. We are not strong enough to ensure that everything is safe, but we add our voices to those around the world that Zimbabwe is a problem that needs to be resolved immediately. The World Cup in South Africa is different because some of the systems to ensure a satisfactory tournament are not yet in place - the telecommunications, for example. But at the same time, we are putting systems in place that will benefit South Africa in the future and that is what is rewarding. FIFA President Sepp Blatter recently sparked an uproar when he mentioned that there was a Plan B for South Africa. Are you concerned or alarmed at the enormous outcry that his comments caused around the world? Each time he says something, it is important because he is the FIFA President. But the media is always looking for a story. This time, he said it with the European Championships and there was a focus on football and the 2010 World Cup. This will be less important in a few weeks time when everything is back to normal. But, no matter where we host the World Cup, there will be questions about that country's ability to stage the event. We expect the same questions to arise when Brazil hosts the World cup in 2014. In terms of the various FIFA development initiatives around the continent, are you satisfied with the progress that is being made? We are quite satisfied with the roll-out of artificial pitches around the continent - I think we are now three-quarters complete with the task. The centres for excellence are also on target in South Africa, and we are still working on other areas in the rest of Africa. We are also very satisfied with the energy that is being created and we are seeing others who are wanting to come on board with development initiatives. Overall we are very satisfied with the various programmes that we have initiated. more interviews...
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