FIFA Pay South Africa £67m More For World Cup Bases... Happily

FIFA’s man in South Africa yesterday admitted his organisation has given South Africa an extra £67m (about R700m) before the World Cup but added: “ I hope the final result of this will be that the two communities in South Africa will be a different country by the end."

FIFA’s general secretary Jerome Valcke, attending the Indaba 2010 pre-tournament conference in Durban, said the extra money had been pumped into training camps throughout the nation and that the 25 percent increase was ratified by an executive meeting in March.

The smooth-talking Frenchman, who coolly responded to difficult questions at a “global media face-off” held at the spanking new Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, explained South Africa's organisational budget has now swelled from £282m to £349m, but that would be comfortably cancelled out by an expected £2.1bn from the tournament.

With just one month to go before the big kick-off on June 11, Valcke denied FIFA had ever considered a “plan B” to move the tournament from South Africa, saying he vowed those rumours weren’t true “on the heads of my children”.

He revealed:  "We had to add money for the base camps because there were teams who were unhappy with their preparations."

Valcke, who has clearly developed an affection to the next World Cup host nation, particularly local organisation committee chief Danny Jordaan, added: "The World Cup is the most beautiful event. Yes, it’s a lot of money but a lot of people say the World Cup will be like the 1995 Rugby World Cup and the first democratic election in 1994. It will bring the two communities in South Africa together.”

FIFA has spent a total of £800m on the World Cup 2010 but the host nation has paid out a staggering £3.5bn on infrastructure and security. Valcke, while intransigent on local vendors being allowed near the stadia, admitted he is learning lessons which will help prepare FIFA for the next World Cup in Brazil, 2014, including the provision of over-the-counter tickets.

Valcke’s one criticism? The cost of flights to South Africa. He said: “They’re charging 2,000 Euros and my daughter, who’s a doctor, only earns 1,500 Euros a month. She’s lucky she’s got her dad to fly her out as a guest!”

See also www.nealcollins.co.uk. On 702 at 4.15 in South Africa (you can listen live online from anywhere, 3.15 in England) talking World Cup bases and England squad.