Philadelphia Eagles coach excited about Brazil game, plays down security concerns
Sao Paulo will host on Friday the Eagles versus the Green Bay Packers at the Corinthians Arena, the first NFL game on the continent and the first Week One game held on a Friday evening since 1970.
"We're bummed, obviously, that we don't get to play our opener in front of our fans in Philadelphia, but we're so excited," Sirianni told a press conference.
"This is my first international trip as a coach, so I'm so excited to go out there into the stadium, see the stadium, and then play here in front of the great fans tomorrow."
Quarterback Jalen Hurts echoed his words, saying it was a "blessing" to play an international game in Latin America's largest country.
"I'm very thankful for how Brazil and the city of Sao Paulo have welcomed us," Hurts said.
Eagles players including wide receiver AJ Brown and cornerback Darius Slay had voiced concerns about their safety in Sao Paulo, the largest city in the southern hemisphere with a population of nearly 11.5 million.
Sao Paulo state, which says the local homicide rate is comparable to that of California and lower than Washington DC, pledged to beef up security and escort the teams to their hotels, training sites and the stadium.
"Everything's been just so first class since the moment we've stepped foot in this country. We're just very appreciative and look forward to playing in front of your fans," Sirianni said.
"At the end of the day, we came here to do a job, and our job is not to come and sightsee or anything like that. Our job is to come here and to play a football game against a very good opponent and try to win this football game."
