AMERICAS – The global football conference Soccerex, due to take place at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium next month, has been cancelled for disputed reasons.
According to BBC News, Soccerex organisers said Rio’s State Government had called off the conference due to concerns about “ongoing civil unrest” in Brazil. However, the Government deny this was the reason and cite a funding dispute.
Rio’s State Government, as reported by BBC News, said Soccerex failed to raise sufficient private funds to cover the cost of the three-day conference and was not prepared to put forward any public money to fill the gap.
“The state guarantees the security of multiple events, including New Year’s Eve on Copacabana beach, carnival and the World Cup,” it said in a statement. “The Government of Rio de Janeiro encouraged organisers to seek cultural and sports incentives [funding] and they failed to do so.”
Soccerex organisers said they will be taking actions against the Rio authorities responsible.
“Preparations for the event at the Maracana Stadium were well advanced, with content planned, speakers confirmed and partnerships in place,” a statement said. “To be cancelled in such a cavalier fashion, having hosted 33 events over five continents is extremely frustrating but nevertheless it has happened and is in contravention of all the contractual obligations of the Rio state government who have been notified of our intention to instigate legal proceedings for substantial compensation.”
The event would have been the last of four scheduled Soccerex conventions to be held in Rio.
A number of anti-government protests have taken place in Brazil this year, with protestors unhappy about the country’s fall in growth rate, the sharp fall in currency, corruption in public life and the amount of money being spent on hosting the World Cup and Olympics.
Soccerex moves to Manchester in the UK next year, which has hosted Soccerex Europe since 2010.
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