Rio de Janeiro, June 22: FIFA has asked the Brazilian government to provide security guarantees amid fears that sweeping civil unrest could pose a threat to the Confederations Cup.
Less than a day after widespread rioting hit Brazil's biggest cities, FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke denied speculation the tournament could be aborted.
"We have asked for security measures that we need in place for the competition to continue until the end," Valcke said Friday.
"I hope that this doesn't last until 2014. It's a problem that Brazil needs to resolve, not FIFA. We are the wrong target."
The protests, which started in Sao Paulo last week over rises in transport fares, have changed into a nationwide movement against government corruption and the cost of the World Cup. More than a million demonstrators marched through Brazil's biggest cities Thursday with many participants calling for fans to boycott the World Cup.
IANS