Romario blasts FIFA on proposed World Cup law

Romario and other legislators voiced their opinions on Tuesday during a congressional hearing on the law, to which opposition was growing in Brazil. “FIFA cannot boss us around in our country,” Romario said. Another lawmaker, Jose Rocha, added “we cannot allow the creation of the ‘state’ of FIFA inside of the Brazilian state.” The proposed law would finalize the legal framework surrounding the event and would deliver the final commitments Brazil’s federal government made to FIFA when it made its winning bid to host the World Cup, along with the 2013 Confederations Cup. Those commitments mostly fall along commercial lines and involve ticket sales, broadcasting rights and the Brazilian government stepping up enforcement of any FIFA trademark infringement during the Cup. For instance, FIFA doesn’t want to see a repeat of the “ambush marketing” that took place during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, when about 30 Dutch women wore orange minidresses to a Netherlands match, outfits paid for by brewing company Bavaria. FIFA’s official sponsors—Bavaria was not one of them—have exclusive rights to in-stadium marketing. FIFA and the brewer reached a settlement deal in that case. As yet, however, there was no Brazilian law that covers ambush marketing, which would be forbidden during the Cup by the proposed bill in congress. Another big issue was an existing Brazilian law that forbids the sale of alcohol inside stadiums during football matches. FIFA has stated it will sharply defend the commercial rights of all its sponsors—among them being brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev, the maker of Budweiser, which last week extended its sponsorship of the World Cup through the 2018 edition in Russia and the 2022 event in Qatar. In July, Brazil’s former Sports Minister Orlando Silva said the government was evaluating whether to lift the ban on alcohol for the Confederations Cup and the World Cup. The proposed bill that was sent to Congress does not mention alcoholic beverages, but states that it would ensure to FIFA and its sponsors “the authorization to, with exclusivity, promote their brands, distribute, sell, publicize, or carry out advertising for products and services” in the areas where matches are carried out. Given Budweiser is a major sponsor of the World Cup, Brazilian legislators say that would open the door for beer to be sold within stadiums and other official FIFA venues during the events, which they say would conflict with Brazilian law.