London, June 29 (ANI): The official champagne for the 2014 Football World Cup was reportedly unveiled by FIFA amid protests in Brazil against inequality and overspending on stadiums.
According to the Guardian, more than a million people took to the streets in Brazil, with demonstrations continuing on a daily basis in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and other cities to demand that public money be spent on hospitals, schools and public transport rather than lavish mega-events.
However, the report said that the global governing body's partner Taittinger has chosen this moment to announce a sponsorship deal that makes it the 'official champagne' for the current tournament as well as next year's finals.
At more than 64 pounds a bottle in Brazilian supermarkets, the report said that Taittinger is popular among the newly-minted rich community in a country where more than ten million people live in extreme poverty, often without access to clean water, which has been highlighted during the explosion of public protest.
Although the large amount of cash spent on new and refurbished stadiums for the World Cup have been a major focus for demonstrators, however, FIFA president Sepp Blatter refused to accept blame, saying that people should not use football to make their demands heard and added that they did not force Brazil to host the tournament.
However, the report said that FIFA expects a record income from broadcasting and sponsorship deals from the World Cup, none of which goes into Brazil's public coffers.
In the latest clashes, 90 people were injured when a crowd of 50,000 people met with a cloud of police teargas and rubber bullets as they tried to approach a stadium where Spain were playing Italy in the Confederations Cup, the report added. (ANI)
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