John Leicester, for AP, says that Dilma Rousseff and Blatter handed over the trophy in Maracanã Stadium. That misses a crucial as well as embarrassing detail, which goes beyond the "headache" the journalist reports.
Blatter had the trophy and was about to pass it on to the captain of the winning German team. He had actually stretched his arms already and the Brazilian president could not be seen by those watching the broadcast; she was not sufficiently close to him.
Suddenly, Dilma emerges. By reading her lips, she said 'a taça eu que dou' (It is me to hand over the trophy); abruptly she takes the golden piece from Blatter's hands and places it, like a hot potatoe, in the captain's palms.
The "insulting chant" aimed at Dilma that our source mentions does not fully account for the "headache". Fifa was already fed up with the rulers of Brazil sometime before the tournament began (delays, serious incidents, street protests accompanied by police violence, etc.)
Blatter, however, could not ever have predicted that a partner of his - British director of the company Fifa had given exclusivity to in the selling of VIP area tickets - would be arrested by a loud and sound police operation just at the glamorous Copacabana Palace in Rio. That occurred on July 7, eve of the 'historical' shameful turn of Brazil as a team - in its very house. Sheer coincidence?
Estado de S.Paulo newspaper said that Blatter gathered the press and for 30 minutes defended Raymond Whelar. Folha de S.Paulo, in turn, ignored such press meeting and chose to quote key figures of Planalto (seat of the Brazilian government) who defended... the police operation.
The latter news agency also made the awkward declaration that the relations between Fifa and Brazil were 'unaffected' by the scandal.
In conclusion, Blatter was not just trying to avoid insults to Dilma when the craziest explosion of joy was the thing. The head of Fifa was willing to leave Dilma out of the big moment - for a million of reasons.
Tournament over, Folha de S.Paulo comes with surveys showing massive percentage of delighted foreign tourists. Well, they simply cannot elect Dilma in October.
Still I would be delighted myself to learn they have indeed had the time of their life.
read also:
WORLD CUP - WHAT'S BEHIND THE GREAT SHAME Germany 7 x 1 Brazil
