SAO PAULO (AP) — FIFA head Sepp Blatter will meet Brazil’s president to settle differences over preparations for the 2014 World Cup.
Blatter will meet Dilma Rousseff on Friday in the capital Brasilia two weeks after FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke made harsh remarks over Brazil’s slow preparations, igniting a furor that hurt the relationship between the host country and soccer’s governing body.
Blatter asked for the meeting with Rousseff during his apology to Brazil, hoping the talk will help both sides focus on getting the country ready for the Confederations Cup next year and the World Cup in two years.
