It seems like there was a cancellation of the Soccerex event scheduled for November 30 to December 5 in Rio de Janeiro, which was supposed to take place six months before the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The cancellation was attributed to fears of demonstrations, and there are conflicting statements about the reasons behind it.
Soccerex president Duncan Revie mentioned in a video that the cancellation was a political decision taken by the Sports Secretariat of the Rio State Government. However, the Rio State government denies this claim, stating that the organizers failed to secure the planned resources and that it had nothing to do with protests.
The cancellation of Soccerex raised concerns and reignited the security debate regarding the upcoming 2014 World Cup. The Confederations Cup held in June prior to the World Cup had experienced numerous demonstrations protesting against the hosting of the World Cup, leading to significant material and human damage.
The article also mentions a visit from FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke that almost turned sour a few weeks before the cancellation of Soccerex. Soccerex, established in 1995, is a global convention focusing on various aspects of football, including business, TV rights, and marketing.
