The Rio de Janeiro state government announced on Tuesday night that it would cancel this year’s Soccerex Global Convention, the premier business event for the international soccer community, citing a financial dispute over the use of public funds. But Soccerex CEO Duncan Revie rebuffed the government’s claim, saying instead that “ongoing civil unrest” in Rio is to blame for the convention’s cancellation.
The decision to cancel Soccerex is a blow to World Cup organizers, who are trying to demonstrate that Brazil is ready to host the global tournament and the 2016 Olympics following widespread protests in the Spring against World Cup-related investment.
Soccerex was scheduled to take place in Rio’s newly refurbished Maracanã stadium from November 30 to December 5. It would have been attended by 4,500 of “football’s leading decision-makers,” including many of the executives, coaches and functionaries—FIFA President Sepp Blatter among them—who then planned to travel on to the World Cup draw on December 6.
The news was announced as the Brazil 2014 organizing committee was in London to visit a tourism trade fair. Speaking to reporters in London, FIFA’s marketing director, Thierry Weil, said, “We are as surprised as anybody at this change of plans but we do not believe it will have any influence on the hosting of the World Cup.”
Next year, Soccerex moves its convention to Manchester in the United Kingdom, which has been the host of Soccerex Europe since 2010.
