RIO DE JANEIRO, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's CFB soccer federation told media on Wednesday that the CFB was worried that Brazilian airline Varig's financial crisis could disrupt the country's championship as Varig could be forced to cancel flights without warning.

    "We have to be alert and to prepare ourselves for all eventualities," said CBF president Ricardo Teixeira. The teams and referees mostly use Varig charter flights to travel Brazil.

    Varig's problems servicing its seven billion reales (3.25 billion U.S. dollars) of debt, could eventually halt its operations. Already, many planes are grounded, because the airline cannot pay for repairs.

    Club dos Treze (CT), the company which promotes the championship, said it was confident that other airlines would cater for the charters needed by the tournament. But if they are unable to cover for Varig, the situation could get difficult, CT's president Fabio Koff said.

    The 36th Brazilian football championship begins on Saturday and ends on December 3.

    Varig has carried Brazil's national team to the soccer World Cup every year since 1994, and has the contract to transport the players to Germany for this year's Cup, and the tour of Europe immediately before it, starting in May. Enditem