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Monday verdict FIFA expected to back France, Australia over friendly
Updated: Saturday October 27, 2001 7:39 AM PARIS (Reuters) -- World soccer's governing body FIFA will make a final decision Monday about a controversial friendly between Australia and France and probably allow both teams to pick the players they want, sports daily l'Equipe reported Saturday. The newspaper quoted FIFA president Sepp Blatter as saying: "The only thing I know is that you can't prevent Australia from playing a preparation match before their World Cup playoff and to pick whoever they want." "Australia have of course every right to select whoever they want to build the best possible team," he added. L'Equipe said the same rule would apply to France, especially as the November 11 game in Melbourne will be the world champion's eighth this season. World champions and host countries, who do not play World Cup qualifiers, are entitled by FIFA to play eight games and call up whichever player they want without clubs being able to complain. Fifteen European clubs have signed a petition calling for the Melbourne friendly to be postponed or cancelled for fear the trip would be too exhausting for their players. FIFA last week recommended that both countries select only one player per club. France has always insisted the game should go on and that manager Roger Lemerre should be free to call the players he wants. 'Monumental error' Influential AJ Auxerre manager Guy Roux, the longest serving coach in the French first division, attacked France's controversial trip to Australia for a friendly next month as a huge mistake. "I'm going to give you the worst example of diplomatic nonsense in my career by saying that as French National League vice-president and member of the schedule committee, I am forced to support that monumental error," Roux said after his team's 2-0 win over Olympique Marseille on Friday.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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