On Tuesday, 11 people were arrested for allegedly selling tickets that may have been procured through a FIFA contact, according to authorities. The tickets that were being sold to unsuspecting fans were the ones handed out by FIFA to sponsors, football federations, players and non-governmental organizations, the Express Tribune reported.
On Tuesday, FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke expressed his concerns in a televised interview about the level of drunkenness in Brazil following the world soccer body's special consideration to sell alcohol at World Cup venues. Valcke also pointed the link between inebriation and violence.
Authorities have confirmed that security men who have accosted 25 year-old Andre Johnson told the latter to take a hike when he first demanded to see the Hall of Famer-turned-TV darling. However, Johnson returned to the set again with a knife and attempted to stab a security guard with his blade. Officials said Johnson was quickly rebuffed and arrested by cops.
Nine-time Wimbledon singles champion and Tennis Channel analyst Martina Navratilova shared her thoughts to an ESPN panel and said, "I've never seen anything like it and hopefully never will again. Everybody was put in such a difficult position, including the WTA. It's not right."
