FIFA: No speeches at World Cup opener
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E-mail Xinhua, March 12, 2014
World football's governing body FIFA will refrain from speeches at the World Cup opening ceremony on June 12 amid fears of jeering by disaffected Brazilians.
FIFA boss Sepp Blatter and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff were roundly booed by fans in Brasilia last June before the opening Confederations Cup match between Brazil and Japan.
In the ensuing days mass protests swept Brazil's major cities as Brazilians voiced their anger at years of government corruption and the high public cost of staging the World Cup.
"We are going to carry out the opening ceremony in a way that doesn't involve speeches," Blatter was quoted saying by Brazilian news service Valor Economico on Tuesday.
The World Cup opening ceremony at Sao Paulo's Itaquerao stadium will be immediately proceeded by the tournament's first match between Brazil and Croatia.
Local organizers expect another wave of mass rallies during the World Cup, which ends on July 13.
The government has already announced plans to deploy military forces and private guards to provide added security during the event.
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