FIFA play down threat of split

FIFA officials were yesterday playing down the possibility of an unprecedented split in football in the growing controversy over the radical plan of FIFA's general secretary Sepp Blatter to stage the World Cup every two years.

Commenting on a statement attributed to Gerhard Aigner, UEFA's general secretary, that it could lead to a parting of the ways for two of the game's power brokers, a FIFA spokesman described it as an over-reaction to a proposal which was still only at a formative stage.

In an interview in the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Aigner restated the earlier objections of UEFA's president, Lennart Johansson, that Blatter's plan was unworkable.

Aigner is quoted as saying: "If this continues, we could eventually have a breakaway from FIFA. I'm not saying we want to boycott the World Cup but on the other hand nobody can force our Federation to take part in a World Cup every two years."

Europe delivered its strongest objection yet to the proposed change on the day that the general secretaries of the six continental federations met in Zurich yesterday to rationalise the soccer calendar.

Ostensibly, the purpose of the talks, lasting five hours, was to co-ordinate the demands of national teams, leagues and clubs at a time when the fixtures list is threatening to descend into chaos.

The primary aim, however, was to move Blatter's revolutionary plan a step further and restructure the calendar in a manner which would facilitate the restructuring of the World Cup on a biennial basis. In the event little appears to have been achieved.

UEFA, taking the lead in preserving the status quo, submitted a schedule which would in effect retain the current structure of the continental championships at least until 2005.

This will now be considered by the other continental bodies and a joint recommendation will go before a meeting of FIFA's executive committee on March 11th and 12th.

Blatter, taken aback by the strength of the opposition to his plan but still determined to press on regardless, believes that, if he can streamline the programme, he will eventually command sufficient support to see it on to the statute book.

Stressing the importance of international football and the need to ensure its pre-eminence in the game, he said: "Every aspect of football is important to us but we must find a balance between club and national team competitions.

"We must also bear in mind the welfare of players and the interests of the public by avoiding over exploitation of the market".

Blatter also took a swipe at the current structure of the English Premiership. Without specifically mentioning England, he said that the congestion of fixtures was down in part to the refusal of certain national leagues to reduce the number of their clubs.

Ironically, at a time when football is groaning under the yoke of too many fixtures, a segment of yesterday's meeting was devoted to arrangements for the introduction of an eight-team world club championship.

FIFA's organising committee believes it should start in January of next year while UEFA propose that it should be deferred until July.

The tug-of-war between the Republic of Ireland and Wales over Sunderland's Paul Butler ended yesterday when the 26-year-old centrehalf informed Mick McCarthy and Welsh manager Bobby Gould of his decision to declare for the Republic. Butler, born in Manchester, was eligible to play for both countries because of a Welsh grandfather and a Kildare-born wife, Caroline, but after receiving confirmation that he qualifies for an Irish passport he turned down Gould's offer of a place in the next Welsh squad. "It was one of the hardest decisions of my life but I've chosen Ireland and I'm excited about the prospect of playing for them," said Butler in yesterday's Sunderland Echo. "Hopefully all the red tape will be sorted by the time the next squad is named for the friendly with Paraguay on February 10th.

"Mick contacted me this morning and I told him I'd be delighted to be involved. Even if the paperwork hasn't gone through in time for me to play in the next game, I'll go over, train and get to know the lads."