SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) — FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke said he doesn’t expect the World Cup opener in Sao Paulo to be affected by the construction delays at the stadium where a crane collapse killed two workers last year.

Valcke visited the Itaquerao Stadium on Monday to begin FIFA’s first inspection tour of the year ahead of June’s World Cup, saying “we will do all that we can” to make sure the opener is successful.

He said he was satisfied with the work at the venue and expects there will be enough time for test events after its completion in April.

The Itaquerao made headlines in November after a crane collapsed while hoisting a 500-ton roofing structure, killing two workers and causing significant construction delays.

The World Cup begins June 12 with Brazil playing Croatia.

… Less than impressed with slow pace at Curitiba

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AFP) — Curitiba risks being dropped as a venue for this year’s World Cup finals if work on the stadium there fails to make significant progress, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke said yesterday.

“We cannot organise a match without a stadium, this has reached a critical point,” said Valcke.

Valcke, who has not held back from making critical remarks about preparations in the host nation during the lead-up to the finals, said he hoped rapid progress would be made so that Curitiba would not miss out on hosting matches.

Curitiba is set to host four group matches, including the meeting of holders Spain and Australia.

“What is there to say?” said Valcke, speaking after paying a visit to the stadium.

“It is a delicate question. But let us be frank and direct about it.

“As you must know the present situation at the stadium is not to our liking.

“Not only is it very behind in its construction, but it has failed to meet any of the deadlines set by FIFA.

“It is not that we want the stadium to be ready by February 18, but simply that we want to see progress made (by the time of the next FIFA evaluation visit).

“A lot of people want to come here, the World Cup holders have to play here.

“We hope, therefore, that the conversations we have had with the State Government and the Curitiba city council will produce the desired results, which will not see the city excluded from the Cup.”

It is estimated that the stadium in Curitiba is 90 per cent completed but, like many of the other 11 venues, it has been beset by problems.

Vidic’s wrongful dismissal claim rejected

LONDON, England (AFP) — Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic will miss his side’s League Cup semi-final second-leg tie against Sunderland at Old Trafford today after failing to overturn a red card he received last weekend.

The central defender submitted a claim for wrongful dismissal after being sent off late during Premier League champions United’s 3-1 defeat by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday for a rash challenge on Eden Hazard.

Vidic was given a straight red card, for which the standard punishment is a three-game ban.

An independent regulatory commission confirmed yesterday this would now take “immediate effect”, starting with today’s tie where United are looking to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg.

“Manchester United’s Nemanja Vidic has had his claim for wrongful dismissal rejected by an independent regulatory commission,” said a statement issued by the Football Association yesterday.

“Therefore, the player’s three-match suspension commences with immediate effect. Vidic had received a red card for serious foul play in his side’s game against Chelsea on Sunday, 19 January, 2014.”

Blackpool sack coach Paul Ince

LONDON, England (AFP) — Former England midfielder Paul Ince was sacked as manager of second-tier Blackpool yesterday.

Ince was fired by the north-west side after a run of nine defeats in 10 games meant Blackpool had won just one point in English football’s Championship, the division below the elite Premier League, since November.

Also on their way out of Bloomfield Road are Ince’s assistants, Alex Rae and Steve Thompson.

The club added veteran midfielder Barry Ferguson, 35, would take charge of training from Thursday onwards.

“Blackpool Football Club can confirm that manager Paul Ince and assistants Alex Rae and Steve Thompson have had their contracts terminated with immediate effect,” said a statement on Blackpool’s website issued yesterday.

“Barry Ferguson will take charge of training when the players return on Thursday. A further announcement will be made in due course.”

PCB on hunt for new coach

KARACHI, Pakistan (AFP) — Pakistan cricket authorities yesterday began the hunt for a new head coach for the national team, a day after Dav Whatmore’s two-year tenure ended with a series-levelling victory over Sri Lanka.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement it “has invited applications for the positions of head coach, batting coach and fielding coach for the national team”.

Whatmore, a former Australian batsman who was born in Sri Lanka, was hired for a two-year tenure in March 2012. Last month he announced he would not seek to renew his contract after being criticised by former greats and interim chairman Najam Sethi.

The PCB said a committee including former stars Wasim Akram, Javed Miandad and Intikhab Alam would evaluate the applicants, with the decision to be finalised before next month’s Asia Cup in Bangladesh.

During Whatmore’s tenure Pakistan failed to win a Test series, losing to South Africa 3-0 in 2013 and Sri Lanka 1-0 in 2012, and drawing with Zimbabwe and South Africa 1-1, also in 2013.

But Whatmore said he was satisfied with the team’s showing — Pakistan won the Asia Cup in March 2012 and beat India 2-1 in a one-day series early in 2013.

Englishman Julian Fountain was serving as fielding coach until the third Test against Sri Lanka in Sharjah, which Pakistan won by five wickets to level the three-match series 1-1 on Monday.

They chased down 302 in 57.3 overs to achieve a thrilling victory.

Despite Monday’s heroics, Pakistan are also in dire need of a batting coach to address their vulnerable line-up.

They were shot out for their lowest Test total of 49 during the 3-0 rout in South Africa last year.

FA charges Nicolas Anelka for anti-Semitic gesture

LONDON, England (AP) — West Bromwich Albion striker Nicolas Anelka was charged by the English Football Association yesterday for performing a gesture considered to be anti-Semitic while celebrating a goal.

The former France international has until Thursday to respond to the charge, and is facing a minimum five-game Premier League ban under the FA’s anti-discrimination sanctions.

West Brom said Anelka is now “considering his options”, adding that their internal inquiry will conclude when the FA process is over.

The gesture, which is known in France as a “quenelle” and has been described as an “inverted Nazi salute”, involves pointing one straightened arm downward while touching the shoulder with the opposite hand.

It was popularised by a French comedian whose performances are considered anti-Semitic. Dieudonne M’Bala M’Bala denies anti-Semitism claims, but he has been convicted multiple times for inciting racial hatred or anti-Semitism over the years.

This month, Dieudonne agreed to abandon a controversial show banned in several French cities after angering the government.

Anti-racism group Kick It Out said the FA has “spent a longer time than desirable” before charging Anelka over the incident in the globally televised match against West Ham on December 28.

Anelka said after the West Ham game that the gesture was meant to show support for Dieudonne, and it was “anti-system” rather than anti-Semitic.

Sochi forces hunt for 3 potential suicide bombers

SOCHI, Russia (AP) — Russian security officials are hunting down three potential female suicide bombers, one of whom is believed to be in Sochi, where the Winter Olympics will begin next month.

Police leaflets seen by an Associated Press reporter at a central Sochi hotel yesterday contain warnings about three potential suicide bombers. A police letter said that one of them, Ruzanna Ibragimova, a 22-year-old widow of an Islamic militant, was at large in Sochi.

Russian authorities have blamed the so-called “black widows” of slain insurgents for previous suicide attacks in the country.

Security officials in Sochi were not available for comment yesterday. The Black Sea resort town will host the games in February amid concerns about security and potential terrorist attacks.

The southern city of Volgograd was rocked by two suicide bombings in late December, which killed 34 and injured scores more. An Islamic militant group in Dagestan on Monday posted a video claiming responsibility for the bombings and threatened to strike the games in Sochi, about 500 kilometres (300 miles) west of Dagestan.

Police material distributed to the hotel staff also included pictures of two other women in veils: 26-year-old Zaira Aliyeva and 34-year-old Dzhannet Tsakhayeva. It said they had been trained “to perpetrate acts of terrorism”.

It warned that the two women “are probably among us”, but, unlike Ibragimova’s case, did not say if they are in Sochi.

The Olympics are to be held February 7-23. Russia has mounted an intense security operation in the city, but concern persists that “soft targets” outside the Olympic venues, such as buses and tourist facilities, are vulnerable to attack.