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Case Study – Risk Management of the FIFA World Cup

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Added on  2021-07-20

Case Study – Risk Management of the FIFA World Cup

   Added on 2021-07-20

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Case Study – Risk Management of the FIFA World Cup
Big Events, Big Risks: Lessons From Brazil's World Cup
By Jacqueline Day
BRASÍLIA – For a month this past summer, billions of fans around the world stayed
glued to televisions broadcasting the FIFA World Cup from Brazil. Millions more
descended on Brazil to watch the games in person. They came despite the various
warnings about Brazil’s readiness to host and fears of widespread, violent protests.
Yet, as it should be, the tournament will mostly be remembered for the drama that
played out on the pitch: from the Brazilian team’s epic collapse against Germany and
the controversy that erupted when Uruguay’s Luis Suarez (some would say
allegedly) bit an Italian opponent, to the emergence of Colombian star James
Rodriguez.
That the tournament will be remembered first and foremost for the soccer was no
small feat and, frankly, a massive surprise. Thousands of corporate VIPs, celebrities
and world leaders descending upon a country known for its security, logistics and
infrastructure challenges was worrisome enough. Such a backdrop, combined with
the disruptive social unrest that flared unexpectedly in 2013, could have easily
shifted the storyline away from the sporting competition itself. That it did not is a
testament to the hard work and careful preparation of the legions of public and
private sector workers, as well as to the Brazilian people’s devotion to “the beautiful
game.”
The Brazilian security forces deserve plenty of credit. They took active measures to
address lessons learned from the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, effectively
managing and containing the smaller-scale protests that did occur, and critically,
avoiding the heavy-handed tactics that only aggravated matters in 2013. They were
helped by two additional factors. First, many Brazilians who had previously engaged
in legitimate and peaceful protest activity during the Confederations Cup were
alienated by the violent tactics of anarchist groups, the so-called Black Blocs, with
whom they did not want to be associated. Second, in keeping with custom, most
Brazilians cared more about watching the matches than taking to the streets. Even
Brazil’s crushing loss to Germany—an event that caused security directors to
collectively hold their breath—failed to galvanize the masses to take back to the
streets.
But for the scores of companies with a role in the World Cup trying to manage the
uncertainty and sheer complexity of the event, a successful tournament required
significant resources and an entirely different dimension of planning driven by worst-
case assumptions.
Case Study – Risk Management of the FIFA World Cup_1

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