Transfer issue leads to feud

Sepp Blatter's much-revered "football family" was at war last night after FIFA's president accused Gordon Taylor, chairman of the European players' union, of "decapitating" the task force charged with finding an alternative to the game's transfer system. Taylor retorted that the task force had a "hidden agenda".

So, at the end of a highly acrimonious and confusing day - after two years of talking - football found itself in disarray only four days before the deadline set by the European Commission to issue concrete proposals over the issue threatening to destabilise the game.

Blatter and Taylor exchanged angry words at a press conference which had been called to show unanimity between all parties before Tuesday's historic meeting with the EC in Brussels.

The player's union, FIFPro, had earlier boycotted the final session of discussions dealing with the EC's legal concerns over the current transfer system because Taylor believed the concerns of his members were not being addressed. Instead he sent alternative proposals to the meeting, only for them to be completely ignored.

Taylor then made an impromptu appearance at FIFA's headquarters here, with Blatter publicly demanding that the Englishman, chief executive of the Players' Football Association here, explain why he had not turned up at the meeting.

As other task force members looked on with a mixture of support and embarrassment, Taylor launched into a lengthy monologue designed to protect his players' interests. Clearly not liking what he was hearing, Blatter interrupted, shouting for Taylor to "answer the question".

Blatter admitted there were still fundamental disagreements between task force and players' representatives but hoped that talks with the union would go on.

The sticking point, as it has been throughout the negotiations, is what to do about players over 23 switching clubs at will while still under contract.

Although next Tuesday is the deadline for initial proposals to be submitted, the EC has set an end of year ultimatum for a final workable solution. Considerable horse trading is certain during those intervening two months to prevent a complete collapse of the transfer system and the nightmare scenario of a free-for-all across the community.

Titi Camara yesterday conceded that his brief and turbulent Liverpool career was all but over by asking to be placed on the transfer list. The 27-year-old Guinea international striker has finally tired of playing in the reserves and is likely to be sold to the highest bidder.

Liverpool paid the French club Marseille more than £2.5 million for Camara 18 months ago, but, despite scoring 10 goals in 37 appearances, he has not featured in a senior fixture this season.

Everton's Abel Xavier is wanted by Benfica, one of his former clubs, although it is thought unlikely that the cash-strapped Lisbon club would be able to meet an asking price of about £3 million.

The English FA last night denied reports that it had approached Lazio's coach SvenGoran Eriksson about taking the England job. Eriksson's assistant Tord Grip said Eriksson had been contacted and that he was "very flattered to receive this offer".

But an FA spokesman said: "Adam Crozier [the chief executive] will be the only one making an approach and he has made no such approach to Sven-Goran Eriksson or the other two candidates."