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Hodgson fears logistical nightmare in 2014

24 August 2012-PA Sport

roy hodgson

Cautious ... England boss Roy Hodgson (Getty)

Roy Hodgson has warned of the "enormous logistical problems" England and their fans could face if they qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Hodgson welcomed the added "spice" of the tournament being held in Brazil but painted an otherwise bleak picture of what might await teams and fans in the country.

Speaking at the Vauxhall Road to Brazil 2014 media conference, along with the other Home Nations managers, Hodgson said: "They've got a major logistical problem on their hands. It's a vast country. I don't think we realise quite how vast.

"There's going to be enormous difficulties for the teams that qualify, according to where they're drawn.

"You've got to remember, it's the Brazilian winter, so it's not going to be a particularly sunbathing time unless you happen to find yourself in Rio.

"If you're down in Porto Alegre, you'll going to need a fur coat because it snows and temperatures reach single figures, certainly, and maybe even sometimes lower.

"And if you find yourself in Manaus then you won't be sunbathing but you will find 45, 50 degrees of heat and plenty of mosquitos as well being near the Amazon jungle."

Hodgson revealed he had scouted potential bases in Rio, Sao Paulo and Belo Horizonte but was worried about the kind of facilities that would await teams.

"There are going to be enormous logistical problems," he added.

"The major problem at the moment is that the local organising committee and the management of FIFA haven't yet come to a definite decision which training ground will be paired with which hotel.

"You don't really want to be necessarily choosing a hotel with a training venue you don't like and vice-versa.

"The type of hotels that you're likely to stay in won't be the sort of hotels that national teams like to stay in, where you can essentially commandeer a hotel and fashion it to your requirements.

"It'll be very difficult to get the type of privacy that national teams prefer, if they can get it, when they go to major tournaments."

But Hodgson also said: "The fact that it's Brazil, we can't deny adds some spice to this tournament because it is such a major footballing power, has been for so many years.

"It's a country which is totally dominated by football.

"They're also known, of course, for their carnivals and party atmosphere.

"They're [the fans] going to be a lot keener to go to Brazil than perhaps some other countries that are occasionally chosen to be a World Cup venue."

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