Brazil-England friendly scrapped over security - report

RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) –

Workers are silhouetted at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on May 15, 2013. Brazil’s friendly international against England on Sunday has been called off due to doubts over the famous Maracana stadium in Rio – a judge said Thursday.

A Brazilian judge has cancelled Sunday’s friendly game between Brazil and England in Rio’s iconic Maracana stadium on grounds that security conditions for the public are inadequate, press reports said Thursday.

The O Estado de Sao Paulo daily quoted judicial sources as saying that the Rio judge acted following a request from state authorities who argued that there the stadium did not “meet the minimum necessary conditions to host games or events”.

An estimated 74,000 people had been expected to watch Sunday’s game which was to have been the second test for the stadium which was inaugurated April 27 after a 30-month renovation.

The daily said the Brazilian Football Confederation was collecting all the documents demanded by the judges so that the suspension can be reversed.

Sunday’s game was to have served as preparation for the Brazilian national squad ahead of the Confederations Cup in the country from June 15 to 30.

England are already in Brazil having flown on a private jet straight after Wednesday night’s friendly draw in Ireland.