Hodgson fears Andrea Pirlo in Italy World Cup clash

Juventus' midfielder Andrea Pirlo (right) celebrates scoring during a past competition. Pirlo has been appointed coach of Juventus, the Serie A champions announced on August 8, 2020. PHOTO | FILE | AFP

What you need to know:

  • England and Italy have been drawn in the same group at the World Cup finals along with Uruguay and Costa Rica and will meet on June 14 at Manaus.
  • FIFA on Thursday announced that its secretary general Jerome Valcke will return to Brazil next week to visit World Cup host cities Sao Paulo, Curitiba, Cuiaba and Fortaleza from Tuesday to Thursday.

ROME

England coach Roy Hodgson admitted Thursday that he fears the damage Italian playmaker Andrea Pirlo could cause when the countries clash at the World Cup.

"The player I fear the most? We respect everyone but if I have to name someone it would be Andrea Pirlo," said Hodgson in an interview with Mediaset.

"Pirlo has played in Italy for 10 years. I coached him for six months (1998-1999 at Inter Milan). He has had an incredible career."

England and Italy have been drawn in the same group at the World Cup finals along with Uruguay and Costa Rica and will meet on June 14 at Manaus.

VALCKE IN BRAZIL

Meanwhile, FIFA on Thursday announced that its secretary general Jerome Valcke will return to Brazil next week to visit World Cup host cities Sao Paulo, Curitiba, Cuiaba and Fortaleza from Tuesday to Thursday.

Valcke, making his monthly visit to the host nation, will accompany Minister of Sport Aldo Rebelo, and Local Organising Committee (LOC) members Ronaldo and Bebeto as he visits the stadiums in the four cities including Sao Paulo's much-delayed Arena Corinthians, which will host the June 12 tournament opener between Brazil and Croatia.

Constructors symbolically handed over the venue, still unfinished, to owners Corinthians on Tuesday and it is due to be delivered to FIFA on May 20.

Three workers died at the site in accidents -- two killed in November and another in March, putting back completion.

Valcke will then head to the southern city of Curitiba to inspect the Baixada Arena, which he threatened to leave off the list of 12 venues before agreeing in February that the pace of work had speeded up sufficiently to retain it.

Wednesday will see Valcke in the central city of Cuiaba, whose stadium is also unfinished, and then head south to Porto Alegre, where the stadium is ready but where temporary structures are not as yet complete.

On his last visit to Brazil last month, Valcke said rows over who is liable for temporary structures such as media work areas had been "a lesson" to organisers who "will have to find a different way of working" in future.

In Fortaleza on Thursday, Valcke will visit the Aterro de Iracema site, which is due to host the Fan Fest, or open air street party area for ticketless fans.

After the tour, Valcke will attend a LOC Board Meeting next Friday in Rio de Janeiro.