Blatter pledges $100m to Brazil after unrest
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) — FIFA President Sepp Blatter has responded to protesters criticising the high cost of staging the World Cup in Brazil by pledging to give at least $100 million from profits back to the country.
World football’s governing body gave South Africa $100 million to help fund development projects after the 2010 World Cup, but had not previously said it would establish a similar “social fund” after the 2014 tournament to Brazil.
Now in Rio de Janeiro, Blatter says “an amount like that or even higher will be possible to have here”.
The Confederations Cup, which serves as a World Cup warm-up event, has been marred by protesters denouncing billions of dollars spent to host the World Cup — money some say should be going toward providing better public services.
