Striking Teachers Confront Brazil’s National Soccer Team With Chants of There Will Be no Cup

Protest in Rio by striking teachers Brazil’s national soccer team was forced to avoid a group of 200 striking teachers on Monday as they headed for their tournament base camp, against a backdrop of public anger over the cost of staging the event.

“An educator is worth more than Neymar,” teachers chanted, referring to the star striker, as the team bus edged through the protesters from Rio de Janeiro’s international airport to the squad’s base about 90 kilometers away at Teresópolis in the hills north of Rio.

Despite a heavy police presence, the demonstrators managed to hold up the team’s convoy long enough to plant anti-World Cup stickers on their bus before it finally eased past the throng.

At the squad’s Granja Comary training complex, where they were met by more protests, coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said his charges have what it takes to win the country’s sixth World Cup.

“We have a great mix (of youth and experience). The young players have experience having played at the top level in Europe,” he told Globo television.

The players – minus Marcelo, given dispensation to fly in late after winning the Champions League late Saturday with Real Madrid – gathered after breakfast for their bus transfer and arrived at their training complex around midday.

The Brazilian Soccer Confederation (CBF) said Marcelo would arrive Tuesday.

But the protests were all too visible for the players. Protesters shouted their trademark “There will be no Cup” slogan in easy earshot.

Some tried to block the team bus from leaving Rio, but the driver dodged them and accelerated away.

“The Cup does not interest me! We want more money for health and education,” protesters bellowed.

The teachers went on strike in Rio state on May 12, demanding a 20% salary increase.

To ensure Brazil have the best possible conditions to prepare, the CBF earlier this year gave the training complex a multimillion-dollar facelift.

The facilities include 39 individual rooms with king-size beds and several full-size pitches where Scolari will prepare the team before they play the opening match of the tournament against Croatia in São Paulo on June 12.

But such luxurious details have angered a populace demanding urgent investment in infrastructure, health and education.

Police will stand guard 24 hours a day at Granja Comary to ward off any trouble.

Brazil has been hit by a wave of strikes and protests ahead of the World Cup and elections in October. Police, teachers, bank security guards and bus drivers have staged disruptive strikes in recent weeks.

Mercopress

Tags:

You May Also Like

Brazil Needs Better Distribution of Assets, Says Unesco

At the 1st Ibero-American Congress for Sustainable Development, today, in Rio de Janeiro, the ...

Kerry Snubs Brazil and Latin America

John Kerry had the right woman at his side when accepting the Democratic nomination ...

Brazil to Have Tough Time Replacing Argentina in Mercosur Chair

This week in Cordoba, Argentina will be handing the Mercosur chair for the next ...

Brazil’s Lula Calls Morales Candidacy in Bolivia, Extraordinary Event

Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Argentina’s Nestor Kirchner praised Wednesday, November 30, ...

Nike and Puma Had Coach Parreira as Hostage, Say Brazilian Fans

Brazil returned home from the World Cup on Monday, June 3, to little fanfare, ...

Brazil Wants to Get Credits for Keeping Forests Intact

On Friday, March 24, the fifth day of the 8th Conference of the Parties ...

Brazilian capital Brasília's Justice Palace

The Real Cost Brazil: a Lavish State Machine That Doesn’t Deliver

A major survey of Brazil by the Economist has made the country once more ...

Brazil to Indemnify Families of ”Politically Missing”

During the military dictatorship which ruled Brazil from 1964 to 1985, a number of ...

US Getting 20,000-a-Month Water-Saving Toilet Bowls from Brazil

Catering to the demand from consumers who struggle with water scarcity, as well as ...

Brazilian Left Tries to Rally Behind a Scorched Lula

On June 19, the national directorate of the Workers Party (PT) of Brazil called ...