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A new low Angry UEFA threatens to cut ties with FIFA on transfers
Updated: Monday January 15, 2001 2:52 PM
NYON, Switzerland (Reuters) -- The love-hate relationship between UEFA and FIFA reached a new low on Monday over proposals for the introduction of an international transfer system agreeable to the European Commission. UEFA, the European governing body, lashed out at FIFA, the world governing body, saying it was was prepared to negotiate a new transfer system alone with the EC if FIFA did not withdraw proposals it submitted to the EC without consulting UEFA first. FIFA responded by saying it was surprised by the reaction and that it had a duty to take action. In an unusually strong-worded press statement, issued after an angry meeting of UEFA officials and representatives from the top 13 European leagues, UEFA declared FIFA's proposals a "non-paper" and threatened they would hold no further meetings with FIFA unless FIFA agreed to "certain principles." FIFA responded with its own statement, saying: "FIFA has been surprised at the reactions expressed by certain groups following the presentation for discussion of new proposals. "The proposals had been presented to all the parties involved with a view to making progress in the ongoing negotiations with the European Commission. "FIFA wishes to state that the regulations against which the EC had raised objections are FIFA regulations. For this reason, the world-governing body for football has to make sure that its relevant provisions are both globally valid and not in violation of existing national legislation." FIFA said it wanted to avoid court action and wanted to continue dialogue but claimed that its proposals had been presented incorrectly in public and that it was prepared to publish them to clarify them. Collision courseOnce united in the fight against the EU threat to outlaw the current transfer system, UEFA and FIFA now appear headed on a collision course that could undermine a tense and lengthy negotiation process. In a statement, UEFA said that FIFA's "submission to the Commission has been damaging to the negotiating position of European football." It added that no other meetings would be held with FIFA unless certain principals were agreed, the main one being the full and proper involvement of European football in any future negotiations. "We are prepared to put forward proposals to the Commission. We have the possibilities to put forward proposals that are suitable on our own," declared UEFA general secretary Gerhard Aigner. "Because negotiations so far have been between FIFA and the European Commission, we did not feel we should put forward any of these documents. "But certainly we would not be in a helpless situation." Flurry of activityFIFA's decision arbitrarily to submit additional proposals, including one that would allow players to leave their clubs mid-contract, sparked a flurry of activity at European soccer's Nyon headquarters. UEFA summoned representatives from 13 of Europe's top domestic leagues to a hastily arranged meeting on Monday to discuss the deteriorating situation and called an extraordinary meeting of the executive board for Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss a formal response. European soccer's governing body had set a 1030 GMT deadline for FIFA to withdraw the proposals. When FIFA did not respond to the request, UEFA opened their meeting. League representatives were shown copies of the FIFA proposals and were furious that under the submission, players would be free to void contracts if they disagreed with a coach's tactics or their club's sporting policy. Players could also break a contract by submitting three months notice or if their club faced relegation. Angry menSo angry were league representatives that they unanimously asked UEFA to consider the possibility of direct discussions with the EC in an effort to resolve the transfer issue. "The document went to the Commission without the blessing of the European football world so the leagues felt they had to make their voices heard," said Aigner. "The principals we are talking about regard stability of contracts. "It's not enough to look after just professional players. "And we feel that so far, too much consideration has been given to the players. "We need the players but we need the clubs who provide the performing platform. "We feel what is envisaged now is giving too much weight to the individual players, particularly the elite." Despite the divide, UEFA insisted it was anxious to resolve the dispute and get negotiations back on track. "The leagues reject the paper sent by FIFA to the Commission and object to the procedure," said Per Ravn Omdal, chairman of the transfer Task Force that has now been dissolved. "However, the leagues, clubs, associations are still here eager to find positive solutions for European football." Talks suspendedEarlier in the day, the EC said it would suspend talks until UEFA and FIFA had a chance to sort out their differences. Talks between the Commission, world and European soccer chiefs and players' organizations had been due to take place in Brussels last Friday but were called off at the last minute at FIFA's request. But one official said the EU executive was prepared to give football's governing bodies a few more weeks, if needed, to iron out their differences. "We want to broker a compromise which is acceptable to all within football's family -- FIFA, UEFA and the players," the official said. Speaking in Madrid at the European player of the year award ceremony on Sunday, FIFA president Sepp Blatter downplayed the rift, insisting that it was the world body's duty to be at the head of negotiations with the European Commission. He denied that FIFA was trying to impose a new system without consulting UEFA. "We've presented a paper to the Commission and said we want to negotiate," said Blatter. "That is not the same as an imposition. "This is a discussion document. It's not a question of it being accepted or rejected. "We want to be diplomatic."
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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