FIFA Not To Be Blamed For Friendly Timings: President Sepp Blatter
With the 2010-2011 club season set to start around the world, leading football teams have protested at the spate of friendly international matches that are being staged on the eve of various competitions.
The matches are hampering preparations of the clubs, which spend millions on their players who are now being whisked away by their national federations for what the clubs claim are ill-timed matches.
The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) is having none of it, and has asked the clubs to ledge protests with national federations who have organized the matches.
This was stated by the President of the international governing body, Sepp Blatter, during a meeting in Singapore.
A staggering number of matches are being played around the world in what has been branded as an official FIFA match day.
The matches have perturbed some of the leading clubs in Europe and Asia, who are preparing for their club seasons with an aim of winning various top level competitions that are to be staged in the two continents.
"There are dates, one or two in a year, only two I think, two dates in a year for friendly matches. It means you don't need to use these dates and if you want to play a friendly match then bring your second or third team, nobody tells you to convoke the best players, and don't make a lot of noise about that by saying that FIFA is silly, this is not FIFA," remarked an agitated Blatter, claiming that he was not willing to take any nonsense from the clubs as his organization was not the one that asked for the players.
The veteran football head honcho is in Singapore to set the ball rolling in the men’s and women's soccer events that are a part of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games.
On the other hand, the chorus of aggrieved clubs is led by Spanish giants Barcelona, who have complained that the friendly between Spain and Mexico, that is being played to commemorate 200 years of Mexican independence, has deprived the club of seven of its leading players.
The match is taking place three days before the start of the first leg of the Super Cup in Spain.
Similarly, other leading clubs suffered in England, Netherlands and France, where the national leagues have either started or are due to start within a week’s time.
Blatter added that his organization was trying its best to work out international itineraries with the consent of national federations and clubs, yet it was not their prerogative to get the two on board, as there needs to be more cohesion between the national federations and club management around the world.
Meanwhile, FIFA are investigating allegations that the North Korean coach and squad members were reprimanded by their government after their dismal show in the FIFA World cup that concluded in South Africa last month.
The investigation was launched after an official from the country delivered new information on the issue.
"A kind of investigation to the chair of the football federation, to tell us about the election of a new president which has been done immediately after the World Cup, it's the first item, and secondly, if it is true, the allegations made by the media that the coach and some players they have been condemned or punished, or whatever," Blatter said.
North Korea, rated as the weakest team in the competition, was thrashed 7-0 by Group G opponents Portugal in the opening fixtures of the World Cup.
They also lost their other two games to Brazil and African dark horse Ivory Coast.
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