Blatter defends TV deal

THE BBC have lost the automatic right to screen the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.

FIFA yesterday broke with tradition and brought the tournament into the same big money league as the Olympic Games by securing a Pounds 1.46 billion television rights deal for the two dates.

The deal with Bavarian media mogul Leo Kirch and Swiss based marketing agency ISL will end more than 25 years of guaranteed access for public service broadcasters to the world's biggest single sport event.

The general secretary of FIFA, Sepp Blatter, however, was at pains to point out that they retained control of the television rights.

He promised that ordinary viewers, who could not afford expensive cable or satellite television, would still be able to watch the World Cup finals.

"We want to know that the best coverage is done, because football should be accessible to everyone," said Blatter.

"It means that in Mali, in the mountains of Switzerland and in Bolivia people have the right to see the World Cup. This is our responsibility, to make sure that they see it."

FIFA's previous failure to capitalise on television rights has been part of the power struggle, in world soccer between the body's veteran president, Joan Havelange, and the head of UEFA, Lennart Johansson.

Kirch's main rival in the bidding was the international television consortium headed by the European Broadcasting Union.

Meanwhile, Bosnia Herzegovn will be one of six countries which will join soccer's expanding world of nations today when the International Football Federation formally admits it at its Zurich congress.

The other countries being admitted are Andorra, Anguilla, Montserrat, the British Virgin Island and Guam.