UEFA reluctant to enter Balkan crisis

UEFA yesterday delivered the strongest evidence yet that it is not prepared to take precipitative action to remove Yugoslavia from Group Eight of the European Championship.

The FAI is among the national associations pressing for an early meeting of representatives of all five countries in the group to discuss the fixtures chaos occasioned by the Balkans crisis.

Ideally they want talks to begin within the next two months to ascertain the views of the other four countries, Yugoslavia, Croatia, Macedonia and Malta, and more significantly, perhaps, those of UEFA in the doomsday scenario of the current conflict raging on until the autumn.

Croatia, the most vociferous in the campaign to have the Yugoslavs expelled, are themselves caught up in the fixtures turmoil with the postponement of their game against Malta at Zagreb tomorrow.

And with Ireland forcing the postponement of last Saturday's game against Macedonia at Skopje, the general perception is that it will require a little miracle to enable the group to be concluded on schedule in November.

That is not an opinion which UEFA is ready to endorse, however, and the vibes from Zurich yesterday suggest that officials are ready to stretch to extravagant lengths to ensure that countries are given every opportunity to complete their programmes.

"Regrettably, the situation in the Balkans is still evolving and and this point it is futile to speculate on what may or may not happen in the weeks and months ahead," said a spokesman.

"We have already announced revised dates for the majority of the postponed games and if circumstances improve sufficiently to enable us to go ahead with that programme, Group Eight will finish on time."

If the European authorities are apparently ready to make every effort to ensure that Yugoslavia are given a fair opportunity to qualify for the finals of the Euro 2000 championship, they are equally determined to clamp down on those Yugoslav players under contract to clubs in NATO countries who are threatening to boycott games because of the NATO bombing.

Vladan Lukic, a Yugoslav international attached to the French team Metz, walked out of the club at the weekend, stating that he wished to return to Serbia to fight for his country.

Savo Milosevic, the former Aston Villa striker, and Pedja Mijatovic, the Real Madrid player, were among the better-known protesters at a demonstration outside the American Embassy in Madrid on Sunday.

And in London Sasa Curcic, Crystal Palace's Yugoslav midfielder, walked onto the pitch at Selhurst Park before Sunday's game against Bradford with a banner which read - "Stop NATO Bombing".

The Yugoslav Football Federation is thought to have orchestrated the show of defiance by nationals playing abroad, but in a statement released yesterday UEFA made it clear that it will not countenance football being used to propagate political philosophies.

"We recognise the gravity of the situation in the Balkans but our official stance is quite clear. Politics should not be mixed with football.

"While sympathising with the players' anxiety and desire to do something, UEFA feels that players have an obligation to their clubs and to the game of football. This message will be conveyed to players, clubs and the Yugoslav national association itself."

Shelbourne face the prospect of having to improvise heavily when they meet Bray Wanderers in the first of the two FAI Cup semi-final ties at Tolka Park on Friday.

With Greg Costello, Pat Fenlon and Liam Kelly out for the remainder of the season, manager Dermot Keely must now replace Dave Campbell and Ritchie Baker.

Campbell, a man with an outstanding record in this competition, is recovering from an injury, while Baker left yesterday with the Republic of Ireland squad for the World under-20 championship in Nigeria.

Additionally, Keely is uncertain of the availability of Owen Heary, Tony McCarthy and Declan Geoghegan, all of whom are having treatment for injuries sustained in Sunday's 1-0 defeat by Derry City at the Brandywell.