The Confederation Cup appears to be going according to plan as a dress rehearsal for next year’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil, and with the host nation in the final they will no doubt be hoping the same is true a year down the track.
However behind the scenes things are not quite as smooth sailing. Switzerland coach Ottmar Hitzfeld visited his team’s proposed training pitch on wednesday, the Antonio Fernandes Municipal Stadium in Guaruja, and hour and a half out of Sao Paulo, only to discover goats grazing on the pitch, broken goalposts, the terraces in a filthy condition and the changing rooms locked.
Captured on Swiss television, Hitzfeld is lost for words having been told the run-down, abandoned-looking stadium would be completely renovated for next year’s tournament. It will no doubt take Swiss efficiency to turn this around in ten months, in the meantime Hitzfeld maybe exploring other options.
